Kiran, The Outrealmer
by Blueshade Seraphim
Summary: The day Kiran came to Askr was a day none would forget. But how did this happen? And what is Kiran’s life like on and off the battlefield? She who has no voice has plenty of things to say.
1. The arrival

**(Disclaimer: It is true that Kiran's gender is ambiguous, but I will choose to write them as female. Now then, sit back and relax. We won't disappoint.)**

Once upon a time, in the prosperous land of Askr, Anna Shihonka, the commander of the Askran army was having quite a rough day to say the least. Morale was low, the people were worried, and she couldn't make a cent off of her line of merchandise. In the end, she decided to simply sit at the dinner table with her lord and lady. It was an awkwardly quiet meal, so Anna did her best to strike a conversation.

"So umm... So Sharena, how has your mother been?" She innocently asked. The princess paused a second. "Oh, she's fine. I still send her letters saying how I missed her and stuff." The two of them struggled to think of anything else to say. Veronica's forces were kicking ten shades out of theirs, and good news was far and few between.

Alfonse put his fork down and sighed. "Heroes are strong. But unfortunately that strength is being used against us. Our men are losing hope in victory, and rightfully so." Anna and Sharena could only frown at the bleak realism Alfonse was known for in situations like this.

Sharena faked a smile. "It's nothing to beat yourself up over. If anyone could've done any better, it'd be you." But she quickly realized her attempt to cheer her brother up had the exact opposite effect. He just stared down at his plate, no doubt thinking about Zacharias.

Anna knew that if Sharena couldn't brighten the mood, that she probably couldn't do much either. Losing her appetite, she quietly walked away from the table. Later in her quarters, she tried turning a coin in her hand to take her mind off everything, but it didn't really seem to do much. But to her credit, it was a very shiny coin. "I gotta hand it to that Barth guy. He may be dumb as a brick and easily scammed, but he does have a love for the finer things." She said to herself.

Just then, a soldier walked in and saluted. "Commander." Anna got off her bed and stretched. "Have a report for me?" The soldier held out some odd device. It was small, and was obviously built to be carried in one hand. It looked like the world's smallest cannon, but had a handle that the user was clearly meant to hold it with. It was painted a glossy white and gold, the colors of Askr. "Yes and no." the soldier replied, "We found this in the basement. No one on staff recalled seeing it, so we thought you might be able to identify it."

Anna turned it in her hand. She had never seen anything like this. And despite being in the basement for who knows how long, it still looked new and pristine. "Hmm... I've actually never seen this thing either. I'll hold onto it for now. You all go back to your posts." The soldier just nodded and left. Once alone again, Anna continued to study the strange thing. She didn't know why, but she felt like it was important.

After waking up the next day, she couldn't help but wonder about the device. It's true that she was never much of an expert on the oddities of the world when such oddities never yielded an immediate profit, or were useful in some way, but this thing seems like a sign. A sign for what? She couldn't say. But this had to mean something. "...But how?" She thought aloud.

She went to the castle library in the hopes of finding out what this thing could be. But unsurprisingly her mind shut down from boredom after hours of looking through the sea of words. She was so lost in it all that she failed to hear Prince Alfonse walking up to her. "Commander Anna...?" Anna jumped from surprise, and instinctively threw the book she was reading in the prince's direction. Luckily for her, it fazed him about as much as a pillow. "O-oh, Alfonse. I didn't hear you come in." Alfonse just bent over and collected the book that was now on the floor.

"I must admit, the last place I'd expect to find you was here. What exactly are you doing?" Anna knew that she had some explaining to do, on account of how telling the prince she just _had a feeling_ would probably prompt either laughter or a puzzled glare, but she explained anyway. She showed him the strange object. "I wanna try and find out what this is. But my search is going... well, not good."

Prince Alfonse took the device and inspected it just like Anna before him. But after a minute, his eyes glew with recognition. "Heh. Haven't seen anything like this since childhood." Anna raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? You actually know what it could be?" She was embarrassed with the fact she could have saved all that time if she just asked him.

He handed it back to her. "Well yes, actually. But I'm sure it's just a coincidence." Now he has her curious. "Well, don't leave me waiting in suspense. Tell me!" He sat her down and leaned against the wall. "When me and Sharena were little, I was obsessed with adventure books. And one day I stumbled across a very peculiar book. I needed mother to clarify some of the more confusing points, but it went something like this: according to the myth, there is a race of spirits that watch over our world's affairs. The author gave them the name 'the overseers'." Anna chuckled a bit. "Creative guy." Alfonse ignored her and continued his story. "The overseers, he proclaimed, act as silent guardians. When a catastrophe is emerging, they can influence the actions of certain people to avert the crisis. Typically gravitating around one individual deeply rooted in the problem at hand." Anna then raised her hand as if she was in primary school. "But what does any of this have to do with this tiny cannon thing?" Alfonse continued his story. "Yes. It's said that there is a device that can summon one of the overseers. A weapon of their own making: Breidablik. If one were to come into possession of it, you could undergo a ritual to them physical form in our world, and with it, the ability to summon heroes from other worlds just like Embla. But it's just an old wives tale. I doubt it's real."

Anna's mind was flooded with the possibilities this opened up if it was to be believed. Alfonse turned towards the door. "I know what you're thinking. Normally I wouldn't approve of putting faith in old legends, but if you truly think this could help, why not let the dream live a little?" Anna stood back up and saluted. "Thanks, Alfonse!" He nodded and walked off.

Through sheer trial and error, (mostly just error), Anna managed to track down the book Alfonse was talking about. Apparently it was written by some guy named "Anankos". Skimming through it, Anna managed to find what Anankos theorized to be the secret phrase, but there's one issue: it's written in English. Normally that'd be fine, but when describing the ritual he expressly states the words must be changed in the ancient tongue, which only royalty know. But it didn't take Anna too long to think of just the girl for the job.

Tracking down Sharena, the red haired commander explained her plan. To the surprise of no one, Sharena's eyes lit up on the spot and she proceeded to go off on an overly excited rant. But somewhere in the cluster of fangirling, Anna managed to hear what she needed to and was about to get up and gather the materials for the ritual, when the two of them heard some horns blare. But not just any horns. It was a signal the Askrans used.

"Shoot! The emblians are launching a direct attack!?" The two got to their feet as Alfonse ran up to them. "We can't let them take the castle. Anna, Sharena and i will go out to the front lines and fight. You stay here and guard the place." Anna let out a nervous laugh, but forced a smile all the same. "You can count on me!" The two blue bloods looked at each other, ready for what was to come, and then ran off. Anna knew she was running out of time.

Finding a secluded place in the castle, she prepared herself for what she was about to do. She got everything in place and began the chant, praying this would work. "_I llac ot uoy, s'ohw s'tirips eurt, ot thgif siht raw htiw em. Raeh ym eciov, dna ekam ruoy eciohc, dael su lla ot yrotciv." _Her heart was beating fast. They needed this to turn the tides for them. Then Breidablik started glowing as it drifted into the air. Glowing brighter and brighter until the room was filled with the warm blue light.

When the light faded, she looked at the ground. Did she do it...? She found herself agape in awe to discover a figure now lying there next to Breidablik. They wore a white cloak, making it impossible to see their eyes, but as they slowly got up she saw she was successful.

It was a woman that was slightly shorter than her. Her blue locks flowing from her hood. Her skin was pale, and her clothes were white and blue with dashes of gold. She was clearly dazed and confused, even though her hidden face would normally make it hard to tell. Anna helped her up as she looked around, not just at the world around her, but herself. "Where...?" The woman's voice was barely audible. Almost a whisper. But Anna was just glad she actually pulled it off. "Welcome to Askr... Kiran." She was a bit surprised she said that name. She didn't even know where it came from, but the reaction the woman gave implied that her name was indeed 'Kiran'. Anna chuckled and guided her new friend by the hand. She'd have a lot of explaining to do. To everyone.


	2. Making an impression

**(Just as a reminder, it takes me a while to finish a chapter. So often times, you'll be given parts of it little by little. Thank you for your understanding.)**

It was amazingly easy to ward off the attack on the castle now that Askr had Kiran. Anna and her previously mentioned quiet friend had managed to catch up with the royal siblings, as they were in a duel with Xander.

"Impressive. But you simply must try harder if you are to succeed." Xander stated as he nonchalantly threw Alfonse's sword back with his own. Veronica watched from afar. Casually sipping a cup of tea, as if to expressly mock their efforts.

"You underestimate our drive, prince of Nohr!" Alfonse shouted, going in for another blow only to have it deflected by Xander's shield. "If what you say is true, then prove it! That's what I've always told my younger sister." Xander easily dodged Sharena's lance before knocking her off her feet.

Xander used his sword to send Alfonse's flying out of his grip and into the ground nearby. As the prince did his best to fake composure, the stoic prince pointed his dark blade at Alfonse. "It was a good fight. But you're just not good enough."

Alfonse was outraged that someone would willingly side with Veronica. Especially someone like Xander, who'd show him respect during the fight. Veronica was about to step forward and declare her judgement on the fate of the Askrian royalty, when the four of them heard a strange sound.

Out of nowhere, a flash of rainbow light was flying directly toward Xander. He raised his sword to defend himself as everyone else looked on in shock. When the light had reached him, his sword made a metal clang against it. Then as the light died down a bit, he saw what his sword was blocking: another sword. A gold one in fact.

There was only one person Xander knew who wielded such a sword. "Could it be...?" But when he could fully see his attacker, he noticed he was gravely mistaken. It was a young woman in black armor and a coat she wore as a cape. Her dark green hair went down to her shoulders.

Veronica just looked on, a look of frustrated confusion on her face. "Who is that? A mercenary?" The emblian princess inquired, noting that her attire made it unlikely she was a normal member of the Askrian army. Xander and the stranger proceeded to trade blows as Alfonse and Sharena got back to their feet. "Hey Alfonse! Glad to see you're safe!"

The two siblings turned to see exactly the person they expected: Commander Anna. But... who was that with her...? They immediately connected the dots upon seeing Breidablik in her hand. Sharena immediately rushed to them.

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! She's so _cute!" _The cheerful princess exclaimed before hugging their new tactician. Alfonse approached more calmly, "The legends are true then...? You're an overseer!?" But they all realized she wouldn't be able to answer that question yet on account of Sharena crushing her windpipe. Anna tapped her on the shoulder. "Erm... princess?" Snapping back to reality, she immediately let go and blushed. "Eeheehee. Sorry, I just like meeting new people."

Kiran then gestured her head towards Xander and Byleth, reminding everyone that they were still in danger. "Oh, right. Well milord, milady, ready for round two?" Anna asked, getting out her trusty axe. The two of them retrieved their weapons and nodded.

The four warriors fought it out against Veronica's most trusted warrior, but it didn't take long for everyone to notice that Xander was losing footing. Veronica growled under her breath. Who was that woman? Some sort of mage? And how dare she swoop in and steal her victory from her!? Seeing little other choice, she cast her hand to her side.

"Xander. That's enough. We are outnumbered. Let us regroup." Despite being exhausted from the fight, Xander was amazed. This is the first time Veronica had ordered a retreat. Seeing his train of thought, the princess tried to hide her motives from her opponents. "You're of no use to us if they capture you. Do as I command."

Xander looked back at the heroes he was just brawling with, and then back at her. Hesitantly, he follows her as the rest of the emblian soldiers flee the area.

Byleth faded back into light as Kiran obtained the peace of mind to realize the gravity of her situation. She was in a world where magic was real, thrust into a war she barely knew anything about, and is apparently regarded as the one thing standing between a foreign kingdom and multiversal conquest! To say that it was a hard pill to swallow would be an understatement. But she quickly regained composure, for she noted panicking wouldn't help her much.

"-And don't come back, you hear!?" Sharena snapped Kiran out of her trance as she noticed that the blonde was shouting confidently into the distance where the emblians left. "Sharena, they're already gone. The wind probably isn't going to harbor much fear." Alfonse stated, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh come on, Alfy. we managed to repel Xander! Gotta milk this for all it's worth." Alfonse just smirked. "I guess you wouldn't be you if you couldn't make the best of grim times." With the threat now gone, they turned their attention back to their new ally.

"Alright, so introductions..." Anna said, clapping her hands together. "This here is Kiran. Girl of few words, but I'll give her credit for keeping a cool head in a crisis." Kiran put her hands in her pockets and avoided making eye contact, being shy about being praised so highly.

Alfonse walked over and smiled. "Peace, friend. You're safe here. I am Alfonse. And though I am a prince, don't feel that my status is a barrier. You've already met my sister." They both looked to Sharena who gave a friendly wave.

Despite her face being obscured, they could tell she had plenty of things on her mind right now, and rightfully so. Anna put a hand on her shoulder. "It's a lot to take in, I know. And I'm certain you're not used to your powers yet. But don't worry, no one's ever really _prepared _for war. We don't really know if it's possible to even send you back, so all I ask is you put your trust in us a while. Can you do that?" Kiran paused, her hesitation easy to see. Especially since she just saw what they were up against. But after a minute of internal debate, she slowly nodded.

"Then it's settled. We're now siblings in arms. You won't regret your choice, I promise. Now let's get back to the castle, you'll no doubt want some time to digest it all." Alfonse suggested. As they walked, a smile grew on Kiran's face. It would take plenty of getting used to, but if she truly did have incredible abilities that would garner such amazement, she might just make this work. As Sharena held Kiran's hand and ranted on about how they were gonna be best friends, Alfonse and Anna discussed some last minute thoughts.

"So it looks like you were right all along. I owe you a debt for making this happen." Anna just smirked. "Oh believe me, this comes with its own rewards. I can tell you right now that everyone in Askr is gonna want Kiran's autograph when we're done. That girl's gonna make me some bank." Alfonse just shot her a cold look. "At the very least I'll win the king's blessings...?" The two of them laughed as they made their way back from a brilliant victory.

**But meanwhile...**

"...You have your orders. When the time comes, don't disappoint me." Princess Veronica declared to the soldiers in her camp. She went back to her tent only to find a familiar face. A dark skinned man with white hair. He wore a mask and a very eye catching outfit. He was nonchalantly reading in his spell book. "Troubled?" Veronica sat down on her bed. "Not _troubled, _per se. More-so vexed by curiousity." The man closed his book. "The woman, I take it?" Veronica's eyes widened. "How did you guess?" The man took a deep breath before pacing about the tent. "I'm always poking around Askr. You know that. I was actually here to to inform you." The pragmatic royal fluffed her pillow. "And how did you know this would be information that would interest me?" The man walked up to her with a blank expression. "I only saw Commander Anna go in. Yet she and our walking mystery came out." Veronica put a hand on her chin. "Yes... I intend to keep tabs on that merry little band of theirs..."


	3. Siege of the sand

**(There are going to be plenty of time skips between chapters, as I doubt I'm going to go through every individual point of the game. But I'll do my best to expand on the best bits.)**

It was yesterday that Kiran had been welcomed into the ranks of the order of heroes. Today Kiran received some proper training with her summoning powers. Alfonse kept the book from Anankos on hold for if it could help explain how Breidablik works.

"'It is said that Breidablik was created from the magical fallout brought about by the death of Velezark, the chaos dragon. A creature capable of commanding space and time. As a result, Breidablik can summon heroes from separate timelines, or even the past. That said, to maintain order to the space-time continuum, all heroes will have their memories of their time outside their world wiped clean.'" Alfonse read aloud.

Kiran groaned as she summoned Virion for the third time, and immediately sent him back. It appears the hero she summoned from the summoning ruins were effectively random. But it was worth it all the same, as she managed to bring forth some strong heroes for the battles ahead.

Later that day, Commander Anna had called them all for a meeting. "Alright, guys. It appears Veronica has made her move." Everyone at the table looked confident in themselves. Even Kiran, to a lesser extent. "The only thing is... it's a rather odd move to make. There's a beach in the outrealms heroes go to relax, and she's forced these heroes under her contract." The three of them then dawned the same puzzled expression Anna had.

"A... beach? Why would you look for fighters there? Even if they were strong, the attire wouldn't be very protective." Alfonse questioned. Anna shrugged. "Maybe we spooked her in our last battle. Maybe she's just _testing the waters?" _Anna then laughed at her own joke, failing to inspire everyone to laugh along as they stared at her.

Sharena looked as excited as ever. "Sweet! And maybe afterwards we could hit the sand!" Normally someone would remind Sharena they're not going there to have fun, but once she gets riled up, it's hard to stop her. "Priorities, milady. Now then, me and Kiran will look over the terrain. You two just get comfy before we depart." They both nodded and left, Anna whispering to Kiran that Sharena was probably getting her a bathing suit right now as they spoke.

When the time came to leave, the four of them found themselves in matching white swimwear. Kiran wore a wetsuit, and wore her coat like a cape so she could still wear her hood, Alfonse wore a baggy pair of swimming trunks, Sharena wore a two-piece, and Anna wore a one-piece. Sharena even made sure to take plenty of pictures on the trip with the photo tome she uhh... _'borrowed' _from Anna.

So the prep was done, and they were out in the sun. All of them brought their signature weapons in the case that one of the heroes was hiding behind a palm tree nearby. Sharena had learned the hard way why you don't forget your sandals on the way to the beach, as she had to stand in the water to avoid burning her feet. Then Alfonse braced himself. "Wait, is that a her-!?... Oh. Just a dolphin." Anna stretched her arms. "This may be a mission, but you _really _need to take it easy, milord."

Alfonse looked towards Kiran to see she seemed a bit weirded out they were even there at all. "At the very least someone's in the same boat as me." Then something blue jumped out of the water towards Sharena. Kiran quickly aimed Breidablik and fired. Just as the figure managed to reach the point of impact, Caeda had materialized and blocked the strike.

"Marth? What are you doi...Wait, you're not him." As the sand that had previously flown up from the collision dissipated, it was plain to see who the attacker was: Lucina. Caeda blew her back with her lance, prompting her to backflip and land on her feet. She was wearing a dark blue one-piece. "As if today couldn't get any stranger..."

They then saw a bright flash from the trees to their right as a bolt of lightning flew towards Kiran. Anna deflected the blow with her axe at the cost of being blown off her feet and falling backwards onto their new tactician. From the bushes, Morgan walked out in black swim shorts. "Why did you even bring Falchion with you, sis? There's no need to expect any risen here."

Lucina replied while in the middle of her fight with the two golden hearted knights. Using the hole in falchion to trap Caeda's lance and disarm her. "There's loads of things that can go wrong at the beach. Loads of things! What if a shark came by, and I'd need to save you?"

Morgan tried to keep his distance from Alfonse, and Anna whom was darting back to her feet in the corner of his eye as he retaliated with his magic. Ugh, if only he brought his own sword. "It's because of the crab incident, isn't it?" Lucina immediately looked hin dead in the eye in the distance. "I thought we agreed never to talk about that again." But that distraction was all it took for Sharena to knock Falchion from her hand, leaving her defenseless.

Morgan knew that he was in trouble now, so he wisely tried to aim for Kiran again, seeing that she couldn't defend herself. But while he did, he couldn't help but notice she looked eerily similar to his mother. Regardless, he cast his spell only for his spell book to disintegrate. "Out of uses!? Not now!" Alfonse pointed his sword at the young lad as dark smoke dissipated from his and Lucina's skin. Freeing them from the contract.

Kiran couldn't help but be amazed. Even though she was in danger, she actually pulled her weight in that fight. Maybe she could actually make this work after all.

Caeda shook Lucina's hand. "Heh. You even fight like him. It was a good fight." Lucina thanked her as she faded into light. Now able to act on their own again, Morgan and Lucina decided to wave the order of heroes goodbye. Now there were only two heroes still under Veronica's control. Wasting no time, they set out to find them. Sharena collecting shells along the way to make into a necklace later.

After some more walking along the white sand of this tropical getaway, they heard someone in the distance. The first voice sounded like a woman. "Young Master Kana, I told you not to wander off like that!" The other seemed to belong to a child. "Aw man. You scared the fish away, Felicia." When they tracked down the source of the chatter, they discovered a little boy in zebra striped swimming trunks, and a pink haired woman in a black two-piece. "I assure you the feeling is mutual. Now let's-" the two beachgoers noticed the two of them.

Alfonse scratched his head. "We don't have to fight a kid... do we?" The boy pouted as his body started moving on its own. "Mama's not gonna like me fighting strangers, but I have no choice." Before their eyes, he transformed into a silver and blue dragon! The woman drew out a wooden dagger seemingly made by hand here. "Focus on the fight. Corrin will be much more upset if you came home with any scratches."

Everyone looked on in shock. "Oh great. He's a dragon." Sharena noted. "Relax. There are plenty of dragon slayers out there. Kiran, if you would?" Anna recommended with a wink. Kiran obliged, firing her weapon as Chrom materialized. "She may have staves on her, so take her out first!" Anna shouted to her comrades. The royal siblings went after Felicia while Chrom and Anna occupied the playful dragon.

"Oooh, did you come to play with me? Let's play then!" Kana cheered as he swung his tail at the two heroes. Anna ducked under it while Chrom dodged. They were thankful that Kana doesn't seem to take the fight very seriously. Chrom lunged at him, no stranger to fighting much bigger dragons. "I have to admit, I never imagined I'd fight someone like Nowi." Chrom chimed, peaking the young prince's curiosity. "Who's 'Noee'?" Kana asked.

Meanwhile, Felicia seemed like an easy target at first, but her tendency to trip on a root or clumsy stance made her dangerously hard to predict. But unsurprisingly, wood didn't exactly hold up against metal. After her dagger snapped at first contact with Sharena's lance, she backed away. "I'm... out of daggers." She spoke aloud, having only made one. Not knowing what else to do, she came swinging her arms at Alfonse. That said, it became immediately obvious she had the slapping power of a lalaloopsy. Alfonse easily caught her by the wrists, prompting her to surrender.

Back with the champion of Ylisse, they were finding it difficult to defeat Kana without hurting him. There was no debate as to what was gonna happen when the dragon spawn took a deep breath. "Raawr!" Chrom jumped to the side to avoid Kana's water breath, whereas Anna leaped on top of the beast in an attempt to find a weakness. But no matter how much she whacked him with her axe, it barely put a dent in his silver hide.

But then, Sharena got an idea. "Hey Kana!" He turned his head to see a volleyball approaching him. His fun-loving instincts kicking in, he swatted it back with his head. Before they knew it, Kana had become completely distracted by the game of volleyball. And because the two warriors could no longer fight, their contract broke.

After the game, Kana reverted to human form and laughed. "You're really fun. Let's play again some time." Sharena ruffled his hair. "Maybe some day, Kana." Felicia then retrieved her young master and left to reapply her lotion.

And with that, it was over. Kiran's first official mission was complete. And as a stroke of luck, the sun was still shining high in the sky. "See guys? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now are we _finally _gonna hit those waves?" Sharena begged. Everyone looked at Alfonse for his opinion as leader. It didn't take long for him to give in, with his sister giving him her puppy eyes. "Fine. But just a short while, the order of heroes doesn't mix business with pleasure." Her leash officially loosened, Sharena didn't hesitate to have some fun in the water. Kiran just read a book on a beach towel, Anna started building a sand castle, and Alfonse just did some fishing. It would certainly live on as a fond memory for the order.

**But someone else wasn't enjoying the beach so much...**

Veronica sat on a rock in the forest, Xander holding an umbrella over her to protect her delicate skin. On top of that, two of her pegasus knights were fanning her. "How could I forget how much I loathe the beach? The sun just seems to hate me here." She fussed, folding her arms. She was getting impatient. Her spies _must _have gotten something useful by now. And just when she was seconds from losing her mind, there they were. Her two spies. "You better have something of value for keeping me waiting in this dreadful heat. Your report. Now."

The two of them kneeled,"It appears our suspicions were correct, milady. This stranger is capable of calling forth heroes to aid the enemy." She narrowed her eyes at them. "Is that all you have to say?" The other spy spoke up. "No, milady. It also seems she wields what appears to be a weapon. One that happens to match descriptions for the presumably fictional device, Breidablik." That seemed to keep them off Veronica's bad side. "Interesting... I will look into the matter. If we are facing with some sort of prophetic hero, I'll be sure we crush them..."


	4. Silent sorrow

**(What are the odds I'd make a beach chapter the day before a beach paralogue? Talk about a coincidence. But children, it's time to dim the lights. Somewhere in the darkness you can hear something... something...)**

The days flew by as Kiran adjusted into her new life. On this particular night, she was thinking long and hard. Here, she was a hero. People actually saw something in her for once. She even had friends for the first time in her life... but you cannot have light without casting a shadow. And that shadow for Kiran was her past life. Everything was so great here. She was surrounded by people who blindly place their admiration in her. But all of this came fear. Not fear of harm, she got over that relatively quickly in this ordeal. Fear of... loss.

She stared at the ceiling in her bed. It was the only time of day she ever took her hood off. The hood acted as a shield of sorts. Without it Kiran felt vulnerable. A sort of tugging in her heart that wasn't triggered by anything happening out there. Just every once in a while, her ever wandering mind finds its way back in that dark place she left behind.

She nagged herself to just repress it again and get to sleep, but that ironically made it even harder to forget again. She sat up, pushing the covers off. Maybe a little bit of motor function would tire her enough to drift away quicker. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought long and hard.

...How could it all have gone so wrong so fast? She buried her face in her hands. She still remembered that day, when she was in her room at the age of 8. Overhearing her parents getting really mad at each other about something. Back then she just assumed everyone just worked out their differences and become happier because of it. That's what all children believed... but that all changed years later when they called her downstairs.

Kiran knew none of this was helping. Maybe a walk outside her room would take her mind off this. She knew where this would lead to if she got too deep into the memory. She was hesitant to walk out of the room. After all, what would her new friends think of her if they saw her out there like this? She'd probably owe them a very thorough apology, and even then they'd see her eyes. She just didn't want to risk that.

In the end though, she also knew that being trapped in these walls would only drive her insane. So against her better judgement, she walked out into the hallway. She could feel her breath returning to her again, it was definitely less constricting out here. She'll probably only be out for a moment or two. Go out, get it out of her system, and go back without any unnecessary drama.

As expected, it was very quiet. Only the gentle sound of leaves rustling outside. And that atleast made her thoughts a bit clearer. Maybe she was just overthinking this whole thing. But then her mind went down an undesirable path when she realized how quiet her house was after what happened. She was 10 now, and she did seem to be a sort of calming sensation for her parents. But it was unfortunately not enough. They had had no shortage of arguments recently. No doubt she had prolonged this to some degree, but in retrospect it was probably inevitable.

She sat down in her chair as her father explained that they weren't as happy together as they hoped. They did mercifully try to cushion the blow by saying that she was a great kid and they both loved her all the same. But after a long and difficult discussion, mother came around to explain she would choose one of them to stay with from now on. That was an experience no child should ever have to choose from. She went through a lot of tissues before she was even able to utter another word. She didn't like the alternative, but it was equally cruel having her choose between her only family.

The fact that the one she didn't choose would visit every month barely made her feel better at all. It was painful, and it was gut-punching, but she wasn't leaving that room until she made a choice. After a long time she had become so frustrated with being there having that kind of pressure weighing down on her that she finally said she'd choose her mother just to end it. Her father understood, and even bought her an ice cream the next day, but the damage was done.

She knows very well that it wasn't her fault that choice had to be made. She understood that her decision didn't speak about her as a person. But her heart didn't understand that. She told herself in her darkest moments that she shouldn't have obliged. Maybe she could have prevented what happened... atleast for a while longer. Ever since then, she only spoke when absolutely necessary. She also developed a timidity to looking someone in the eye, so she would often wear a hood in her later years.

By the time she snapped out of her trance, she realized there were tears streaming down her face and she had wandered halfway across the castle. Going out here was a bad idea. But in a stroke of luck, getting this emotionally invested has exhausted her quite well. So she returned to her room, being extra careful not to bump into the patrolling soldiers who might mistake her for an intruder.

**The next day...**

Alfonse and Anna were at the mess hall having some breakfast. A warm plate of pancakes is just the thing to start off a good day. Sharena sat next to them and proceeded to chow down. But Alfonse noticed she was looking around a bit much for someone who comes here fairly often. "Something amiss, sister?"

Sharena looked to the left for a moment, and then back at Alfonse. "You don't believe in ghosts, do you Alf?" She asked innocently. The two of them raised an eyebrow. "...Can't say that I do. Why?" Sharena looked around to see if anyone else was listening, probably for dramatic effect considering everyone here worked for them. "Last night I went to fetch a glass of water when I saw something strange. It was a bit far away, but it looked like a woman. A bit creeped out, I hid and watched it from a distance. And it just... wandered. Not really doing anything."

Anna chuckled a bit. "Maybe some people in camp are sleep walkers. Risen may exist in Ylisse, and terrors may exist in Valentia, but there's no such thing as ghosts." Sharena shrugged. Alfonse then noticed something. "Have you seen Kiran? She's usually up by now." Anna spoke up. "Well, I went to go fetch her earlier to discuss our next move, but she was out like a light. I guess our last battle really wiped her out. I just let the girl sleep."

Alfonse smirked. "Heh. Smart move. I know some people can be a bit wild when disturbed." Sharena pouted. "Hey, I stayed up all night watching the stars. What did you expect?" Everyone had their breakfast in peace. Kiran got up half an hour later, back to her normal state of mind after venting as much as she did. Little did Kiran know that she would soon find the means of conquering her own demons. In time...

**(I'd like to emphasize that this chapter is NOT written from personal experience, and I do apologize if I've upset anyone. I just wanted to give Kiran a backstory, and some personal issues to overcome. That ended up being a tad darker than I anticipated, so I encourage you to leave a review if you found this to be too much. Thank you for your understanding. Let's get back to some happy stuff next chapter.)**


	5. The chessmasters

**(This chapter is gonna be a timeskip to when Veronica invades the summoning ruins. Let's see if we can make this fun.)**

The order of heroes had grown quite strong as time marched boldly forward. Kiran soon found herself in no shortage of options when selecting her hero of the day. She was finding herself much more at home in Askr. Though she was scared of getting too attached to her allies, she would easily say she trusted them. They have her back like she has theirs. But now was not the time for sentimentality. They had to stop Veronica before she destroyed the summoning ruins and with it, the ability to summon new heroes.

Kiran had summoned Robin for the battle ahead. Though this robin preferred to keep her hood up. Regardless, they all marched until they saw their target in the distance: Veronica was sitting on the summoning alter. Xander, Chancellor Desaix, and Michalis at her side, all surprised to see opposition.

Veronica's face contorted into a crooked smile that tried in vain to mask her sudden rise in anger. "Heh... heheh... Ever the cruel mistress, Lady Fate." Alfonse drew his blade. "Only cruel when you're losing. Before we finish this, I wanted to extend a proposal." Veronica slowly got to her feet as her three warriors drew their weapons. She held her hand out to gesture for them to wait.

"Quite late for you to bargain with the enemy, don't you think?" She sarcastically remarked, crossing her arms. "I wanted to know if we could just let this go. I'm sure our kingdoms could work together like times of old." Veronica smirked. "So optimistic. Let's assume I did drop everything after all this. What do you think would happen? My people would probably tear me limb from limb. But even worse, I'd have to part ways with..." she cut herself off there, briefly darting her eyes to Xander. "With all the heroes I've met. I simply cannot be alone again."

Robin silently observed. It seems that she to some degree understands Veronica's situation... Sharena then drew her lance. "We all have our choices. It takes strength to make them when they're hard, but if you use that logic of only looking out for yourselves, humanity wouldn't have come as far as it has." Veronica rolled her eyes. "You can spit your philosophy lessons at me while I sign your death warrants. Attack!" The 3 of Veronica's warriors went one on one against their respective heroes. Sharena fought Xander, Anna fought Desaix, and Alfonse fought Michalis. Meanwhile Robin stayed close to Kiran to protect her.

Anna did have the weapon advantage, but the real challenge was getting through Desaix's beefy shield, and pounds upon pounds of armor. Normally she'd have Robin assist her here, but it was all part of their plan. So while she tried to do some damage to Gruntilda's sumo wrestling partner, she decided to get in his head. "I'll give you one thing, I would _never _wanna face you in an eating competition. You'd probably eat everything. Including the tablecloth. And the table!" It seemed her strategy was working, as Desaix had a very fragile ego, and was seen getting visibly angrier.

"I don't think you understand my situation, woman. Here I am enjoying my seat at the Zofian throne, and then some child comes by and drafts me." The grubby chancellor retorted. Anna actually found this kinda fun. "She probably recruited you as a human shield. You are capable of covering a lot of area after all." Desaix groaned at her taunting.

Veronica just watched from the alter as she desperately tried to destroy the darn thing, to no avail. "What kind of rock is this blasted thing made of!?" Kiran and Robin knew that they wouldn't be able to reach her without getting sliced like deli meat by a stray swing of a nearby blade, so they decided to wait until there was an opening. "You're mine!" From the bushes, a man rushes out and swings his blade at Kiran. But Kiran manages to blast him out of the air with fire magic. That's when they see the attacker is Darios.

The possessed prince grips his face to ward off the flames. "Veronica! You told me she was defenseless!" But before he could get a reply, he was blasted into off his feet by thoron, and knocking himself unconscious thanks to his head smashing into a tree. That's when Kiran smirked. "You are still terrible at surprising people, Darios." She pulled off her hood to reveal she was the real Robin, having dyed the ends of her hair. Veronica, having seen the whole thing found herself provoked even further. That would've been her ace in the hole against Kiran. "You know what!? That's the last straw! You want something done right, you have to do it yourself!" She picked up Her spellbook and charged at the newly revealed Robin.

Sharena was doing well hiding how terrified she was to be fighting Xander again. And this time, all by herself. For most of the fight she was on the defensive, using her lance to block his attacks. But she found she was losing footing, and fast. "You all fight as one. I admire that. When fighting in an army such as this, there's not much room to know your allies." Xander explained, not having broken a sweat.

"If I'm not mistaken, your family is like that, right Prince Xander?" Sharena hopes that talking to him would stall him to some degree. "Haha! I'm amused you know that. But I will admit, sometimes we get into trouble when our cooperation falters." He effortlessly knocked Sharena's lance sky high, plunging it into the dirt a few paces away. "Wait." Sharena tried to tell him. "Don't worry, I have no intention of ending you. There's no honor in slaying an unarmed-" Sharena cut him off. "No, I mean weight." Xander looked at her confused as to what she meant. But before he could respond, he heard Anna shout. "Fore!" Xander turned just in time to see Desaix get knocked back into him by a well-timed kick courtesy of Anna. He tried to get out of the way, but the heavy tyrant easily bodied him during his fall.

"You little brat! Just wait till I...!" Desaix tried to get back up, but his armor made his joints too stiff to get back to his feet. Meanwhile Xander tried to push the hundreds of pounds of Desaix off of him to no avail. Anna ran over to Sharena. "You owe me a raise later." Sharena chuckled while retrieving her lance. "Don't get comfy yet, there are still two more." But as they turned to aid Alfonse, they saw Darios standing in front of them. Black single marks all over him. A crazed smile on his face. "You'll have plenty of time to readjust your counting in the afterlife!" He swung at them as they blocked with their respective weapons. "For someone who can't win a fight on his own, you can really take a lot of punishment." Anna commented.

Alfonse and Michalis went blow for blow. Aside from Xander, he was easily the most dangerous foe in the area. "You call yourself royalty? Such sloppy swordsmanship is befitting of a squire." Michalis remarked as he lunged with all the force he could in his blows to try and overwhelm his opponent. "Don't lecture me about my station, 'king' of Macedon. I do not make such blunt decisions like you do." As they locked their weapons against one another Michalis leaned in to look him dead in the face.

"Are you addressing my actions in relieving my father of his throne? The old fool was unworthy in leading our people." Alfonse then head-butted him, breaking his guard and plunging his sword into his shoulder for a brief moment. "Your nation deserves better from you. Don't you care about your family at all?" Michalis grasped his wound and gritted his teeth. "Of course I do, you fool. What sort of monster do you take me for? But one life is nothing compared to that of a country." He continued to fight without mercy, despite his injury.

Kiran watched helplessly as Robin and Veronica wore each other down. Having to be close enough that Robin could protect her, but not so much that she got caught in the battle. War was ugly, that much was true, but no one was benefiting from this. She had to do something! She just... but how? Veronica was sweating, and her face was red with envy. "I could have just won this, plain and simple. All of this could have been avoided. But no, you just _had _to show up out of nowhere and ruin everything! Nothing ever goes right, that's just the way my life goes!" But Robin still stood her ground. "You have no friends because you block out everyone who tries to get close. If you're so lonely, be true to yourself and work out your pain." But Veronica was in no mood to listen.

Kiran saw her friends were still fighting, still determined despite being worn down by the fighting. She found herself moved by a feeling she never felt before. She realized everyone wasn't just fighting because they needed her talents. And that made her feel... what was it that she was feeling? She felt her compulsion to act grow within an instant. They were gonna hurt her friends. If she didn't do something they could very well...! No, she couldn't let that happen! She wasn't gonna let this one good thing in her life be taken from her! She wasn't gonna be alone again! Never again! By the time she had calmed down she found herself standing right in front of Veronica, whom was just knocked to the floor. Her headpiece made a loud clang as she hit the ground.

The battlefield went silent as everyone stared in disbelief at what just happened. Somewhere in her fit of panic, she had ran straight up to Veronica and punched her in the face! Kiran had never hit someone before... it took her a minute to fully come to grips with what just happened. Veronica slowly staggered back to her feet, clutching her face. The reality of the situation sank in as she slowly moved her hand to reveal a black eye.

"You...!" Veronica's face was the kind that displayed a loss for words. But Kiran knew what she did wouldn't go unpunished as Veronica's expression flashed back to rage. "YOU...!" Everyone watched on helplessly as Veronica blasted Kiran point blank with her tome. Kiran's hood slid off her face as her newly scraped and scarred body ragdolled to the ground.

"Kiran!" Sharena shouted from the distance. But Kiran didn't get back up. "Don't worry, blondie. You'll be joining her soo-" before Darios could finish his sentence, he was slashed across the face with Anna's axe. Michalis could also see a sudden change in Alfonse's power as he struck him with tiny scrapes again and again despite his best attempts to keep up. Eventually he collapsed to his knees, not wanting to surrender, but he couldn't swing his axe back up at him. And so he just sat there in cold defiance. Alfonse gave him an empty look mirroring his own before. "I know how your story ends. You'll see the light some day."

Veronica had her own moment of realization. Her anger seemed to dissipate right there and then. And instead it was replaced with another feeling. Was it sadness? No, she had felt that before, and this wasn't it. As her soldiers crumbled behind her, she stared at the woman she just attacked. She had never seen her face before. But something about the sight of her like this... it just didn't feel right. She briefly looked at herself as Robin rushed over to her fallen comrade.

She managed to pinpoint this emotion to those eyes of that girl's. What did they say her name was...? 'Kiran'? She felt someone put their hand on her shoulder. It was Xander. "Lady Veronica. We should take this opportunity to leave. It's not worth it to stay." Veronica just felt confusion about all this. Kiran had snatched victory after victory from her. So by all means, she should feel great. But... those eyes. They just looked so familiar... why? "Milady. Please." Xander pleaded. Veronica just felt stuck on this. It was like a puzzle she could neither see nor put together. She... she needed to get away from all of this. Clear her head and get some time to think. "Yes... I'm coming." And so the two of them departed. Veronica would never quite forget those eyes...

The order of heroes went over to Robin and Kiran. Robin breathing a sigh of relief. "She's gonna be fine. Just unconscious." That made everyone feel much more relaxed. Sharena was still bawling her eyes out looking at her friend in such a state. With that crisis over, Alfonse looked at the direction Veronica had fled, but Anna stopped him. "Let them go. I think what Kiran did spooked her somehow." Alfonse really didn't like letting them get away after all this, but he ultimately relaxed. Everyone was tired. Everyone was in need of a break. And besides, their opposition looked pretty banged up as well. "Fine... do you think that one of our healers could help her?" Sharena helped load Kiran onto Alfonse's back. "Yes. I'm certain she'll need some rest though. Give it some time." And so the exhausted order of heroes returned safely to the castle.

None of them could decipher why Kiran freaked out like she did, but that was a question for when she was feeling better. Besides, their scouts at told them Veronica's forces had fled the area with her. While there was the possibility it was a regrouping effort, something told them they wouldn't be having any trouble from her for a time.

In her dreams, Kiran had quite some thinking of her own. Her own awakened emotion still dug at her like Veronica's. Only unlike her, Kiran's was more out of curiosity than sorrow. She was amazed that she could remember everything that happened despite being unconscious, but it did atleast allow her to hone in on what made her act the way she did. She'd definitely have much to tell her no doubt worried friends when she comes to, but she decided she would take this opportunity to relax and find herself again. It's at this point she works out a sound coming from somewhere. A sound she didn't recognize... a voice of some sorts. And it was saying...

"Kiran... Kiran... Kiran..."

**(Wow, that was quite the rollercoaster of a chapter, wasn't it? Sometimes I'm never even exactly sure how things will ultimately pan out until everything's written. As you can probably guess, the "Veronica Saga" as I'm calling this part of the story, is coming to a close. That's right! Time to turn to Book 2. So hold tight, I'm not planning on leaving you all hanging. This next stage of the story promises to be red hot.)**


	6. Yin and yang

**(_Hiya, summoners. Gee, it's been quite a slow crawl to get to what is easily the only reason to read this story, but don't worry. I haven't forgotten about my adoring fans. And I'll be sure to make the most of my introdu-... What? No, I-I'm not talking to anyone. Thórr, no need to be suspici- give me my phone back! -Loki)_**

Kiran didn't know where that voice was coming from, but it sounded calm and soothing. Her dreamscape appeared to be that of a bunch of islands floating in the sky... or was it the sea? She wasn't exactly sure. But the clouds were white, the grass was green, and everything looked beautiful. "Who said that?" Kiran asked into the wind. She gasped, as her voice sounded stronger and less timid, but was still unmistakably hers.

She heard the voice giggle. "Oh, it appears you hadn't met me yet. So much to explain, and I don't know how long our dreams will be in unison... here, why don't i start by guiding you to me?" Suddenly a section of clouds at parted, revealing a floating spiral of white stairs. A path to it being built out of nothing. Kiran was a bit hesitant, but the voice sounded trustworthy, so she decided to follow its constructions. As she walked up the stairs, she saw her reflection in the sky, because dreams make sense like that.

Upon noticing her surprise, the voice explained. "This is my dream, but at the same time it's also yours. The image of yourself here is a mesh of who you are, and who you wish to be." Kiran noted that her hair was longer, and her eyes seemed so calm and void of stress. She was wearing an outfit that matched Anna's but there was blue where there should be red. "...How do I know you're not just part of my dream too?" Kiran asked, feeling the confidence to speak as there was no one else to respond to the voice. "You can't know with absolute certainty. You'll just need to trust me."

If this were the Kiran from when she first came here, she probably wouldn't so easily hand out her trust. But it's done her good so far, there was probably no concern in being a bit more faithful. "Okay... can you tell me who you are?" She made it to the top of the stairs, and found another island there. A small one that had nothing on it besides a bench, and a woman in white sitting on said bench. The woman was looking in her direction, meaning that she must be the one she's here to see. "I am Gunnthra. We have already met in another dream, but it seems that has yet to be with you."

Kiran innocently walked up to the woman and sat next to her. "...Right." Kiran stated, being in an already puzzled state from her last battle. Gunnthra wrapped an arm around her. "Bad day?" Kiran just looked at the ground. She didn't like putting her problems on others. Especially as they were her responsibility. "I can see what you're thinking. The Kiran I met already told me she had some... insecurities." Gunnthra looked out into the endless sky before them.

"And indeed, I can see that in your dreamscape. Your heart wants to be free. Above the worries of the world, just like the place we find ourselves in now. Even your clothing is a portrayal of this. Anna is your commander, and as such you've always wanted some of that bravery yourself." Kiran didn't know how she felt about someone able to read her so well. But if her future self does indeed know her, that explains how she knows all this.

"I..." Kiran wanted to ask for some advice, but she didn't want Gunnthra to think she was pathetic, even though she seemed nice. "Yes?" Gunnthra asked. This was only gonna nag at her mind until she asked, so she just swallowed her discomfort. "I think I'm starting to feel a connection with my allies. I don't... I don't know if that's good or bad. I've always wanted a friend but that..." she briefly remembered her parents. "I... can't go through that again. Saying goodbye, even if not permanent, it just..."

Gunnthra leaned closer to her. "It hurts. That's understandable. No one likes having to let go of a bond. Whether it be familial or otherwise." Kiran thought of her friends. The ones she could now say she felt something other than respect towards. And as if I'm response, a translucent image of the 3 of them appeared before her. They didn't move or say anything, they just imitated the poses Kiran last saw them in. "What should I do...?" She asked, a certain shakiness to her voice.

Gunnthra smiled, something Kiran didn't expect. "Just do what your heart feels is right. You'll know with time." She didn't like the prospect of waiting for an answer, but those inspiring words did make her feel better. Everything made a smidge more sense. "Better now?" Kiran turned to her and nodded. Somehow entirely unafraid that her hood was not resting on her face.

"That's good. I wish I could say I've come with good news, but unfortunately that's not the case." Gunnthra explained. Standing up, and her smile fading. "I don't know exactly what times we're both at respectively as time in dreams does not work in simple forward or backward. But what I do know is that in my time we are faced with quite the conundrum..."

The clouds in the distance parted to reveal a projection of a castle made of ice. "For I am the eldest princess of Nifl, the kingdom of ice. It is a beautiful place, a winter wonderland, as I've heard many visiting merchants say. But this kingdom once played part in a fierce siege." Then similar to the illusions of Kiran's friends, a projection of a huge monster of a man covered in head to two in flames and armor came forth. "Surtr, the king of Múspell. Once a well respected ally of our fair kingdom had turned traitor. He attacked without warning, and with ferocity and brutality unlike anything ever seen."

If Kiran was being entirely honest, even this harmless illusion of him looked terrifying. Gunnthra continued her story. "So mother, afraid of no man, woman, or demon stepped forth to defend her people. At first she tried to discern why the once just king had changed so drastically, but Surtr only spoke what seemed the delirious ramblings of a man driven mad by his own lust for power. Faced with little option, mother fought him with her soldiers, devoid of fear. And she won, but sacrificed herself to her wounds not long after."

Kiran listened very closely. This sounded horrible in every way, but if Gunnthra really believes she can do something, she has to try. "I'm sorry for your loss..." Kiran apologized. Gunnthra ruffled her hair. "Don't be. I put that behind me a long time ago. But now comes the reason I've sought you out:" the image of Nifl was replaced with the scene of a fierce battle with fire scorching the sky itself, both sides locked in combat. The ones in the white armor seeming to be vastly outnumbered. And at the center of the black army was Surtr looking on with no emotion.

"No way..." Kiran was at a loss for words at the image before her. Gunnthra's frown deepened as she finished her tale. "In my time, Surtr has been resurrected. By who, and for what purpose, I do not know. I have had many dreams warning of this, and I'm afraid that it might be inevitable." The image changed one last time to Kiran and her allies fighting Surtr's army alongside a mysterious woman in a light blue, gold, and white tunic. "In my dreams I've seen you. Standing tall against a threat that many would submit to. And more-so, alongside my dearest younger sister Fjorm."

Kiran felt in over her head at the prospect that she realized Gunnthra was suggesting. "Me fighting that guy? But... my friends do all the fighting, on my own I'm nothing..." Kiran stood up to talk more easily to her. "You have more potential than you think, Kiran. Maybe in your time you could prevent this from happening altogether. But if it does, and I must emphasize it's not your fault if it does, but if it does, you will know. And I want you to find Fjorm and help us in this fight. For if Surtr is still the man mother fought, Nifl alone will not suffice for him. Others will fall, and that may include Askr."

Kiran didn't want to make a promise she didn't know if she could keep. And standing up to an eventuality like this is quite the dilemma. But despite how out of her league this felt, her heart told her she couldn't just let Surtr win. She had to protect her friends, maybe even the world. "Alright. I'll do everything I can... but it may not be enough." Gunnthra smiled, "Your best is more than enough, Kiran."

Kiran then noticed something behind Gunnthra. And she quickly realized it was a person. A tall woman in a purple and gold dress with long magenta hair. She definitely didn't look friendly despite her playful smirk. Gunnthra followed Kiran's stare to find the same sight. Both of them took a few paces back as Gunnthra stood protectively in front of Kiran. The woman started to talk, her voice being deep and seductive as she held a matching scepter in her hand. "Ohoho~! How adorable you girls are trying to be sneaky. But honestly now, did you think I wouldn't notice you trying to spoil my fun? You're like my sister, you can never mind your own business."

Gunnthra gave her a warning look as the grass below them wilted. The sky turning red and the clouds turning black. The trees shriveled and the leaves died instantly. It was clear that the woman wanted a more confrontational setting. "Loki..." Gunnthra declares coldly as Loki rested her scepter on her shoulders. "Normally I wouldn't use up such a dramatic entrance on something so minor as this, but I have big plans and I don't want you meddlers getting in the way of it." She turned her gaze to Kiran, whom Gunnthra tried to hide behind her. "Ohhh. I see what you're up to. The star tactician of Askr swooping in like a white night to save the day, huh? You amuse me, darling. You really do."

Gunnthra turned to Kiran. "I'm afraid I'll have to terminate the connection. Do your best to wake up. Even though this is a dream, she can still hurt us. Kiran nodded, but it would probably be difficult because she's been out for a while. She fled back down the stairs while Gunnthra and Loki fought as she tried to force herself awake. As she ran, the stairs started collapsing as she stepped on them. She then noticed that what awaited if she fell was a towering inferno that made up the entirety of the world below these islands. She just barely stumbled onto the island below as the final stair fell into the flames.

"Why can't I seem to wake up!?" Kiran asked herself as her voice seemed to echo in the now desolate world that was once her dream. Suddenly black roots sprouted from the ground and ensnared her limbs. She desperately tried to struggle, but the roots forced her to her knees. The ground itself grew faces that all started laughing at her as Loki materialized in front of her, casually twirling her hair. "This is my dream now, kid. And I make the rules. Such a shame it had to end this way. You're not even gonna make some triumphant final stand with your friends." She pointed her hand at her forehead as fire started to form inside it. "But oh well. If it makes you feel any better, I'll always remember you. The rest of the world may be of a differing opinion."

Kiran then looked Loki in the eyes and smirked as the world flashed white. Kiran screamed as she shot up from her bed, putting a hand on her heart to catch her breath. "Kiran!?" The tactician notes that she was wearing her hood again. That, and she seemed to be in the hospital wing of the castle. She calmed down upon realizing she was awake. She then turned her head just in time for Sharena to embrace her in one of her infamous hugs. "Oh my gosh, Kiran! Don't ever make me worry like that again! For a minute I thought you were... that you...!" She backed away a second and took deep breaths and fanned her face. "Okay... Okay. I'm fine now. I'm just glad you... that you're... Oh, Kiran!" And she resumes her hugging. Even though Kiran had a lot that she'd have to work out with the others. Loki and Surtr can wait. She needs time to reconnect with her friends. She'll trust her heart like Gunnthra said.

**Meanwhile in the dream world...**

Loki looked at the spot where Kiran just vanished. She had to give credit where credit was due, that girl was resourceful for slipping through her fingers like that. She then looked at the desolate world around her. "Heh. Very clever, those two are. But if they want to jeopardize everything, I welcome the challenge." She took one last glance at the roots that were still in the position they were when holding down Kiran. "Not bad, kid. Not bad." She then vanished through a portal without a trace...


	7. Swing you tricksters

**(Swing you tricksters_, though it may seem bitter, the thought of the clash of fire and winter. She wears a fake smile, and lives in denial, so she watches evermore with a snicker.)_**

Kiran sat down with all her friends as they explained what happened while she was asleep. Everything from Veronica withdrawing to Askr getting a huge boost in morale since she came. "...and so we were lucky that you were only out for a day. Your injuries weren't that severe, but we did anticipate it'd take longer." Anna explained. Kiran was rather ashamed for making everyone worry. Alfonse noticed her wilted expression. "There's no need to be regretful, I think you were just doing what you thought was right. But i just wanted to know why you did something so risky?"

Now was the point that Kiran had been dreading. The part where she hoped her talk with Gunnthra would help. She opened her mouth and half expected the sound wouldn't find its way to her lips. Her voice almost sounded raspy from lack of use. "Had to... Couldn't let her hurt anyone..." Her voice cracked, a result of her nervousness, but she was glad she was able to speak just this once. Sharena looked to Kiran with concern. "Okay. Just please remember you're our friend too. Your well-being matters just as much as anyone else's. If you're gonna put yourself in danger just tell us first." She nodded. Feeling glad they could put this behind them. But now came a more pressing matter...

"Do you know... anything about Múspell?" Sharena leaned her head to the side to emphasize she had no idea what she was talking about. "Misspell? Is that what you said?" But Alfonse seemed to recognize the name. "Múspell? Why would you ask that?... And for that matter, how did you learn about that? They haven't been a very active kingdom for years." Sharena pouted at Alfonse. "You know about something cool? Why did you never tell me?" Alfonse shrugged. "You never asked. And Múspell is the kingdom of fire. By definition, it is not cool." Sharena rolled her eyes. "Har har."

It was now officially exposition story time, so everyone was all ears as Alfonse spoke. "To be honest, I don't actually know anything about it other than the basics. One time as a teenager I accidentally barged in on father talking with it's king, Surtr. I didn't hear much, but what puzzled me was that they seemed to be talking about Plegia. That's odd because entering a world directly is expressly forbidden unless absolutely necessary." Anna raised her hand. "I feel dumb for forgetting this, but why is that?" Alfonse explained, "because imagine if King Gangrel saw someone from our world. It could ultimately be harmless, but if it prompts him to do something he wouldn't have otherwise, it could have a domino effect on the whole world. Especially since he's a very loose cannon." Anna slowly nodded. "Oh."

Alfonse continued. "Anyway, I left shortly after realizing my mistake, so that's about it. But outside my window I saw Surtr leaving the castle with his two daughters. He looked pretty angry, but it was hard to tell from that distance. Rumor has it that a few weeks after that meeting Surtr went mad and ultimately died in a war he instigated." Kiran tugged at her color. "Do you think... he would still be angry?" That only confused everyone further. "what are you talking about? He's dead, remember?" Anna reminded her. She was about to explain her dream to them, but at that moment she saw a bird fluttering by the window. It had purple feathers that were gold at the tip. And it was eyeing her, and then looked at Alfonse with a nefarious look in its eyes. "Are you sure you're 100% better, Kiran? You look restless." She turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Let's just say I..." she gave one last sideways glance at the bird, whom by its expression was listening very carefully to what she was saying. "have a bad feeling about them..." that answer seemed to satisfy the crafty shapeshifter, as it flew away, still keeping an eye on her as it did. Alfonse couldn't tell why Kiran was so nervous about something that seemed so inconsequential, but he trusted that she was trying to tell them something. "Alright then. I know that 'a feeling' isn't much of a solid motive for action, but I'll see if we can take a look into the matter." Kiran was relieved that atleast something could be done about this. "Milord, are you... sure? I doubt they'll take kindly to us spying on them. Plus there'd be less soldiers around to buy my Kiran shirts." Anna stated.

Everyone blankly stared at her. "Oh uhh, yeah. You're becoming a big name now so I thought it'd be right to make a penny or two off of merchandising. Sooo you're welcome...? Ha ha...?" She rubbed the back of her head. "Oh! Would you look at the time, I'd best be making preparations for our little Múspell operation, great talking to you all!" And like that she ran out of the room as Alfonse stood awkwardly and Sharena giggled at the tangent that had unfolded just seconds ago.

**Meanwhile in Embla...**

Veronica had finally honed in on what that feeling was back in the ruins. But that only raised more questions. When she attacked Kiran, a person who had consistently gotten on her last nerves ever since her arrival, she somehow felt guilt. It especially doesn't make sense considering that she had punched her just before then, which thankfully that black eye did heal pretty quickly with the help of an ice pack. "I just don't get it." She said to herself in her room. Holding a Lilith plushy close to her as she lied on her bed. Maybe it was because she couldn't defend herself...? No, she's tried targeting her before with her binded heroes. Maybe because she didn't really join out of choice, but rather because she got roped in via a ritual... No, that's not it either. She's never given two hoots about what heroes got caught in the crossfire so long as she won. She then heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." She turned to face the door as Xander walked in. "Pardon the intrusion, milady but..." he immediately stared at the Lilith plush in his leader's hands. "You saw nothing." Veronica declared with an empty expression. "Yes... it appears we have a visitor. A strange woman with an even stranger fashion sense." Veronica fluffed her pillow. "Probably someone fresh from a stiff drink at the tavern. Send her away." Xander then specified, "that's the thing, we... can't. She effortlessly wiped out anyone we sent to kick her out." Veronica then stood up and got her spellbook. "Oh? How annoying. Clearly such hubris must be punished by hand. Lead me to her." He bowed. "Of course."

The two of them then walked until they found themselves in the ball room. A room that hasn't been used in ages. Veronica was growing impatient. "Why are you stopping? I don't see anyone here." Xander then turned to her and smiled. "Have you tried looking harder? Your guards didn't." Veronica then backed away slowly while opening her spellbook. "I do not find this amusing, Xander." Xander then belted out an audacious laugh, one that was easily not feminine. Right before her eyes he transformed in a puff of purple smoke. Once the smoke cleared she could see the imposter's true face perfectly. "I must confess, I absolutely adore running amok in other people's homes. But that Xander is just so boring. I'm glad I didn't have to keep that form long."

Veronica wasn't quite so easygoing however. "What do you want with me? And do not waste my time with your games, I've half a mind to be done with this as it is." Loki then held out her scepter and sat on it as it levitated like some sort of magical monkey bar. "So feisty. No need to be quick to violence, deary. I'm here for a proposal." The silence from her peer told Loki she needed convincing. "I happen to have been strolling along one day, happily having a picnic with sandwiches, and everything. I was just about ready to dig in when I noticed my peanut butter was gone, and that the only person in the area was a certain red-haired commander."

"You completely made that up!" Veronica protested. "Yup. Totally. What's your point?" She didn't know if this woman had a death wish or if she was _really _unable to take her situation seriously. "Okay, okay, keep your britches on. Now here's my offer:" Loki stood back up again, and within the blink of an eye was standing a few inches in front of Veronica. "I happen to have a king that kinda blew it at the whole 'staying alive' thing, and you have some naughty kids who need a spanking. So let's rub some sticks together and make a fire, you get me?" Veronica's lack of response once again informed her she needed to explain. "You know, help me revive my ruler and he can help you beat Askr."

Veronica scoffed at the thought. "And what makes you think I'm incapable of doing that on your own?" Loki then rested her hand on her chin to exaggerate that she was thinking. "Last I remembered, you almost won but then just closed shop and went home." The emblian princess bit her lip. Yes. If she comes close to victory again and that feeling comes back she won't be getting anywhere. "Limited time offer, tick tock, kid." She used her magic to play the sound of a clock ticking. Veronica thought about it... this woman doesn't look very trustworthy but...

"Ugh, fine. But if I see you even so much as hesitate to keep that promise you'll be dead to me. And to everyone shortly after." Loki then squealed and shook Veronica's hands wildly. Not out of actual joy, but to embarrass the princess even further. "You won't regret it doll. Cross my heart." And so the two of them left to discuss their plan. Loki finding her inside joke funny, as her heart has been vacant for years.

**(Loki is easily the most fun character to write for me. And trust me when I say you'll be seeing plenty of her from here-on-in. After all, she did make it to Book 3, so she's here to stay for a while.)**

**(_She loves me! She really loves me! -Loki)_**


	8. What’s at stake

**("When the wind is slow, when the fire's hot, the vulture waits to see what rots. Oh, how pretty. All the scenery, this is nature's sacrifice. When the air blows through, with a brisk attack, the reptile's tail ripped from its back. When the sun sets. We will not forget, the red sun over paradise.")**

The days went by in Askr as peace finally seemed to be a reality. Birds were chirping, the people were happy, and Kiran was revered as a hero. But unfortunately, while she enjoyed the tranquility, she knew that her hourglass was slowly running out of sand. That the doomsday timer was still counting, and she wouldn't know how much time was left on the clock. Every time they had heard back from their spies down in Múspell, they reported no suspicious activity. They couldn't have been lying either, because it seemed unanimous.

What was she missing here? If the forces of Múspell wanted to bring Surtr back, they would sooner or later need to do something. Either they were the stealthiest army in the world (which was not the case, as nothing about Múspell screams 'subtle'), or there was some factor Kiran was overlooking here. And alas, she couldn't just tell her friends about the danger slowly advancing because Loki could be listening at any time, and as any person or creature. The fact Loki appeared get a kick of never using the same disguise twice didn't help either. She knew her friends could take a normal sorceress, but Loki radiated a sinister aura that told her that she was much more powerful than she lets on.

But Kiran was onto something. Loki was easily the most concrete proof of Gunnthra's warning, and if she could somehow take advantage of her, maybe she could find out what's going on here. But Loki was a strategist herself, and Kiran would need to be extra careful in ensuring she couldn't guess what she was up to. As a result, she'd only get one shot at this. Kiran did have one edge here in that she was creative when need be. And today she was gonna put her plan in motion. She had just finished her letter, and stuck it in an envelope. At that moment, she heard a knock on her door.

"Kiran, I'm respecting your privacy by knocking but asserting my authority as your commander by coming in anyway." And so Anna came in as Kiran stood up from her desk and put the envelope in the pocket of her robes. "I just wanted to ask why you were spending the day cooped up in here? It's a beautiful day out, the kind of day to let your hair down and have fun." Kiran pushed in her chair. "Yes, well... I'm very introverted. That said, I couldn't help but notice you and the others were visiting town today..." Anna was amazed she hadn't thought of that. All this time and poor Kiran had never seen a single soul outside of the army.

"So you're saying... you wanna come?" Anna asked, she was excited at the idea. And she knew Sharena would love it too. Kiran nodded. "Well, of course you can come. I'll even show you some of our favorite spots." Kiran did admit she had become a bit consumed by her work recently. When you hold the safety and well-being of your comrades, you can be a tad obsessive in making sure everyone comes out fine. Even though the heroes are capable of being healed the second they're eliminated from the battlefield. It's a tough job, and comes with plenty of internal pressure, but she's done a good enough job thus far.

As their carriages were being driven to town, Kiran was sitting in the same car as Sharena. And boy, she definitely remembers now just how long the cheery princess can talk. Though, her almost childlike sense of wonder was infectious. Kiran knew she was half in this to finally spill everything about the coming threat, but she could try and take this opportunity to hang her coat up for a while. "So Kiran, after you mentioned Múspell I actually did some research of my own. Not into Múspell, mind you. Into what used to be an ally of theirs: Nifl."

Kiran nodded to communicate she was listening. "It's a really pretty kingdom of snow. You know the ice tribe from the Fates World? It's like that, but much bigger and fancier. Makes you wonder if they're cousins from other worlds." Their carriage stopped at the gate of the town. "Well, looks like this is our stop. Trust me, you'll like it here." And so the two of them went out and rejoined Anna and Alfonse.

To the surprise of no one, Askr was very bright and open. Children were playing, the sky was clear, it all seemed very picturesque. As they walked through the street, Kiran took out her envelope and handed it to Alfonse. "What's this?" He asked. Kiran took one last glance to be sure that Loki wasn't watching "I'll explain later... Open that when we get to our destination." It was a very odd request, but he didn't question her. Their first stop was the fountain at the plaza. The centerpiece of the fountain was a statue of King Gustav and Queen Henriette in their younger years. They both look happy.

"Heh. That brings back memories, doesn't it you two?" Anna remarked. "Yes. I will admit that it's almost unnerving seeing father smiling. Even if as a statue." Kiran turned to him, trying her best to make her quiet voice more audible. "Why is that...? Is he a serious man?" Alfonse nodded. "Don't misconstrue my words, he's a great and caring man. He just reserves displaying his emotions for special occasions." Sharena got an idea. "The story goes that when they were younger, mother was once just a normal maiden whom some thugs tried to kidnap as what their leader called "a trophy". As luck would have it, father was riding his horse around that same area. He saw everything as it was going down and leaped into action. He just barely managed to take them all down by himself, but luckily for him, mother was a healer and helped him for his bravery. And the rest is history."

Kiran dawned a smile, one that was partially out of fascination in the story and partially out of bitterness. "Love is a beautiful thing... I hope they're still happy..." Kiran mumbled under her breath. To her relief, no one heard her. At that moment, she felt a tug on her robe and turned around in response. It was a little girl standing next to what was unmistakably her parents. The father wearing armor. She looked quite shy to be talking to her. "Ummm... excuse me, missus Kiran? Me and my daddy wanted to thank you." She then handed her a drawing. An adorable picture of Kiran smiling on some strokes of green crayon that was meant to be the grass. The sight warmed the tactician's heart. Speaking at normal volume, she expressed her gratitude. "No, I should be thanking you. I love it." And she knelt down and hugged her as she hugged back. Then she waved by as she returned to her parents.

This is what she was fighting for. Not just her friends, or even just the army under her supervision. It was everyone she had the ability to make even just a little bit happier. And she wasn't going to let all that hard work be destroyed by some overpowered maniac of a king. "Kiran? You okay?" Anna asked. Kiran touched her face and realized there was a tear. She wiped it off and put the drawing away. "Yes. I'm fine." So they all decided to change scenery. The next stop was the tavern, but halfway there Kiran was met with the one thing she didn't want to worry about: a reporter suddenly rushed up to her. Seemingly out of nowhere. Her outfit a very ominous shade of purple. "Kiran, baby. How are ya doing, ya little talk of the town, chosen of Breidablik you? Me? I'm great. I'm great. We were making an article about you and needed an interview, wanna help? Good. Good. Let's show you to our studio." She talked about as fast as an auctioneer, not even letting Kiran get a single word in before practically dragging her by the hand away.

Sharena spoke up, "Hey, have a little respect you- aaaaand she's gone." The others just stood there wondering what the heck just happened. "Some people would just do anything for a quick buck." Alfonse stated to himself. Anna nudged him jokingly with her shoulder. "Hey, her integrity is atleast admirable. If she wasn't horribly ignorant of copyright I wouldn't mind making her a business partner." Sharena just shrugged, "Well, I gave her a map of the place and marked our destinations, so we can probably just meet her there." They all agreed and walked on.

But Loki had dragged Kiran into an alley, trying to make sure that recognizable white coat of hers wasn't very visible to a hypothetical passerby. Once here Kiran yanked her hand back and looked angrily at her stalker. "You put Tharja to shame... stop following me." she stated, trying to think of a way to escape. "What? Camera shy? Trust me, I'd much rather be doing other things myself." She was starting to get irritated. "Well, why don't we just make this a one-on-one?" Loki walked up to her, teleporting in her way whenever she tried to run. Loki put her hand up against the wall Kiran was now up against as she looked her dead on.

"Oh, and we can do without that thing, darling." She flicked Kiran's hood off her head to reveal her face. But Kiran still didn't let Loki get in her head. "Rowr. Kitty has some claws. You really made it difficult getting you alone like this, but in the words of Tina Turner, 'we don't need another hero'." She presses her scepter up against her heart. "I'll make sure your obituary accurately portrays this tragic moment, sweetheart." Kiran wasn't gonna let her do this, she just needed to think of something...! Anything...! "That's enough out of you!" Loki turned her face just in time to backflip away from a bolt of lightning. Kiran looked to where it came from to see Prince Bruno of all people.

"Oh~ looks like it's our graduatee from Lucina's school of bad disguises. Was Azura in your class, handsome?" Loki joked as she waved her hair out of her face. Bruno stood between her and Kiran. "I don't _need _disguises to be of use, unlike you. Leave." Loki covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughed. "Aren't you a lucky lass, Kiran. Almost makes me sad Surtr's gonna make ashes out of that precious little face of yours. You two play nice now." And just like that she was gone.

"Bruno...?" Kiran declared, pulling her hood back up. Bruno looked solemnly at her. "We haven't much time. We must find the others before it's too late." Kiran nodded and off they ran.

**Meanwhile at the tavern...**

Sharena was looking at the note Kiran gave her brother. She didn't understand why it was so important. There wasn't even anything written on it. "She's taking an awfully long time... you think she got lost?" She asked, concernedly. Anna put her legs up on the table. "Meh. You know reporters. They try to squeeze as much out of you as possible." Sharena didn't seem convinced, but she didn't say anything.

Alfonse started a conversation just to kill the time. "So Sharena, is that 'ghost' still lurking our castle?" Sharena rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you, I actually saw something. But no, I haven't seen whatever it was since. I even set a trap for it involving some chocolate as bait." Anna raised an eyebrow. "Uhhh, Sharena? Why would a ghost want chocolate? They kinda can't even eat it." Sharena raised her finger to answer, but she couldn't think of anything. The waiter then came by and put a glass of lemonade on the table. "Oh uh, ma'am, we didn't order this." Alfonse objected. The waitress turned back to them. "It's on the house, sir." She replied before walking off.

Sharena then thought of something. "You think it could've been the spirit of one of our ancestors?" Alfonse shook his head, "Why are you so convinced we're being haunt-" but Sharena cut him off with a continuation of her theory. "I mean, I couldn't tell with how dark it was but I think they had blue hair." Everyone just sat silently around the table. "Well, you two can wait here. I'm gonna try find Kiran." Anna said, getting up. But in the process of doing so she accidentally bumped the glass of lemonade, spilling it all over the letter.

"Oops! Darn it. Sorry about that, I didn't-..." but as the paper soaked up the lemonade, they saw what appeared to be words written on it. Invisible ink. Clever. Sharena carefully read aloud the letter, and what she saw looked like something Archduke Izana would write as a joke. Everything from strange women in dreams, to some mischievous shapeshifter, but everything clicked with her when she read a particular part. "_I fear that all of us are in great danger. Loki intends to revive Surtr, and I have no idea how or when. I have to be brief, because I'm becoming less certain she isn't in the room as I write, but we have to stop her if possible. Please. -Kiran." _

Everyone was taken aback by what the letter said. If Kiran was in her right mind, then the whole world was in peril. Anna tried to find an ulterior explanation to disprove this horrifying truth. "Are we sure this could be true? I-I mean, Kiran hasn't been sleeping well lately, right?" That was true, but everyone knew what she wrote was true. It explained her irrational stress recently. Alfonse's eyes lit up. "If this Loki woman is real, then..." they all remembered the reporter. Sharena jumped to her feet. "We gotta move! Now!" They all turned to the door only to see two people racing up to them. "Zachari-...erm, I mean Bruno...!" Both he and Kiran looked out of breath.

Sharena inspected her friend, "Kiran, thank goodness! You're not hurt, are you?" She was relieved to see she had no injuries. Bruno grabbed Alfonse's hand. "They're probably setting up the ritual as we speak. I'll need to ask for your trust one last time, old friend. We must go to Embla. Posthaste!" Alfonse was quite overwhelmed by all this, but he knew this was no trick. The five of them raced off to Embla, praying to whatever deity was listening they wouldn't arrive too late...

**(A relatively uneventful chapter, I know. But bear with me here. Next chapter is when we'll be seeing more legitimate fight scenes. I wouldn't build this up for nothing.)**


	9. Prometheus

**("I was blown away. What can I say? It all seemed to make sense. You've taken away everything. And I can't deal with it.")**

There it was. Embla castle. It was the first time the order of heroes was ever granted safe passage through this place. If only it wasn't under such grim circumstances. Bruno explained on the trip of how Loki showed up and convinced his sister to help her. And indeed, the dark boiling ominous cloud swirling above the castle as they approached had the atmosphere that something terrible was happening. "But you're her brother. Can't you say anything?" Alfonse asked. Bruno shook his head. "Nay. Every time I raise objections, she states how it's none of my concern or that she's prepared in case Loki betrays her. But I don't think she grasps how powerful Surtr is." As they expected, there wasn't gonna be an easy way to fix this.

Before they had gotten into the carriages, Bruno had given them disguises to avoid raising suspicion. Kiran was wearing a blue manakete dress, (which ironically wasn't all that different from her normal outfit), Alfonse was dressed as an emblian ninja, Sharena was in a cleric disguise and Anna was in a wyvern rider uniform. Kiran spoke up, quietly amazed at how silky soft the fabric was. "We'll avoid hurting her if possible... after all, Loki is our target." Bruno sighed. "I'm afraid we'll _have _to fight her. For she is the one performing the ritual." Dang... This was probably gonna make his family gatherings very awkward.

Their carriages came to a stop as the guards inspected the contents of them. Fortunately Kiran's Breidablik was on her person and not with any luggage. They were given admission in, and now that they were here, they'd have to find Veronica as soon as possible. Bruno turned to his friends. "Since Loki saw me saving you, I'm certain I'm not gonna get far. You go in the front, and I'll try the back. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to take her attention off of finding you." They wished each other luck and went in. Sharena's headdress thankfully hid her very recognizable hair well. Kiran then had an idea. "A ritual like this would probably require unbroken concentration... which means she'd want to put her best soldiers between her and us." Anna caught on to what she was saying. "So if we find Xander, we'll know we're close."

Almost as if on cue, Xander walks into the room on patrol no doubt. "Ugh. I guess Loki thought of that." The defeated tactician admitted. "But hey, maybe tailing him would probably lead us to her." Sharena pointed out. So the lot of them carefully shadowed him. Keeping enough of a distance that He didn't notice them, but close enough that they didn't lose him. The fact that they were already on high alert meant they could blend in more fluently with the masses of wandering soldiers. Unfortunately for them, they soon found themselves following him through a dark hallway that was void of people. The reason being it appeared to be a 'high ranking officials only' zone. They were noticing it was starting to rain. Hard. While the droplets trailing down the glass of the windows would in other circumstances be relaxing, here it was a warning they were running out of time.

As they were walking as quietly as they could, Anna accidentally stepped on the edge of Sharena's dress. Causing her to stumble a bit. "Huh? Who's there!?" They ducked around a corner as Xander turned to face where they were. They all held their breath, hoping he wouldn't find them. But the general walked right past their hiding spot, being perplexed by a strangely gratuitous person-sized cardboard box randomly placed in the hallway. One that the order knew wasn't there just a few seconds ago. Xander kicked the box over to find nothing underneath. "I'm getting rather tired of that sorceress using this time for practical jokes." While they were relieved he didn't see them, a new danger became clear by his words. If Loki summoned that box there, then... "Good thinking, guys. He'll never find us here." They all turned to their left to see Loki standing there giving a friendly wave.

Out of shock, the crew shouted, winning back Xander's attention. And this time he could see them plain as day. "This is the part where you chaps start running." Loki suggested, as she brew a flame in her hand. They all listened and started running for their lives. "How did you even find us!?" Alfonse asked Loki as the her and Xander ran after them. After barely finishing that sentence, a fireball missed his face by a matter of inches. "An excellent question, princeling. Seraphim can't figure it out either." Alfonse decided to ignore that sideways answer as they ended up in the ballroom where Loki and Veronica met. "Looks like it's time for some danger on the dance floor. I think you'll find my dance moves can knock 'em dead. Literally." **(Just as a side not here, I'm gonna start adding some music tracks to some of my battle scenes from here-on-in. All of which can be found on YouTube. The track for this battle being "NIGHTS and Reala" from NIGHTS: Journey of Dreams.)**

Kiran knew very well Loki was just stalling for time, but the instant they bolted for the door she used her magic to lock it. She then shapeshifted into Marth in his groom outfit. Xander didn't exactly look very pleased to have to fight alongside Loki, but he swallowed his pride. Everyone drew their weapons. Sharena and Alfonse went after Xander while Anna and Kiran had to contend with 'Marth'. Who seemed just as unrelenting in taunts as with her attacks. Kiran summoned Hinoka to fight the dastardly schemer.

Since Xander was outnumbered, and lacking the same motivation in risking his life, considering he wasn't fighting to protect Veronica but moreso give her the time to revive some king that he didn't have much trust in, he was a tad more sloppy than usual. But Loki was where the real battle was at. Hinoka charged at her with her pegasus, spear in hand only for Loki to bounce it harmlessly off her scepter. "Time for a sacrifice!" Loki chanted, as she spawned a storm of arrows for her Z targeting practice, luckily Anna rushed in and took a swipe at her, not actually landing a hit, but catching her off guard enough for her to lose her aim. She jumped back and smirked as she enchanted her scepter with a strange energy. She then rushed forward, brandishing the thing like a baseball bat. She took aim at Hinoka, and missed her by just a smidge as her scepter slammed into the wall, causing some sort of cracks of lava to form in it.

"Don't let that thing touch you!" Kiran shouted. Loki then snapped her fingers as lasers erupted from the center of the room and slowly closed in on her friends and herself. "Keep a beat with your feet, or you may not survive the laser light show." Everyone was frantically trying to dodge the lasers and keep up with their respective opponent. Of course, because Xander wa still in the room, he was also thrown into a frenzy by Loki's game of laser simon. "You do realize you're wrecking the place, right!?" Xander shouted. "Learn to live a little, Xander. What's wrong with a little destruction?" She swung at Hinoka, whom tried to block with her lance only to have it be incinterated by Loki's spell. She then dived off her pegasus as Anna tried to lead one of the lasers into Loki only for her to use Hinoka as a human shield, but Anna reacted quickly and used her axe to reflect the laser at Xander and away from Hinoka. It had landed successfully giving him a brutal burn mark.

She then generated a giant ball of fire with her scepter and flung it at Kiran. Not having time to react, Kiran fired Breidablik, and the force from the shot sent the mini sun back to sender. "Heehee. A little deadly game of tennis? I'll strike you out faster than you can say 'skin ship'!" The two of them then engaged in a literal game of back and forth during their figurative one. "We're the ones you're fighting here!" Hinoka shouted as she went in for another attack. Loki blocked the punches with her scepter as she used her free hand to avoid getting blasted by her own attack, but it dawned on her too late that she was fighting three people, not two. Anna sliced at her face with her axe leaving a scar across it. Not a serious one, but it was something. Everyone but Loki then ducked out of the way as her attack came barreling towards her. She was unable to defend herself in time as the whirling orb of death blew her back with it as it crashed her clean threw the door and into a brick wall outside. Her Marth disguise fading to nothing as she collapsed unconscious.

"Now's our chance! We must hurry!" Alfonse directed, the thunder outside going mad as they raced up several flights of steps. Xander not even bothering to give chase, as Loki was now down for the count and so he wouldn't have to fight for an unjust cause over fear of being labeled a traitor. While they ran, they found a huge door that had an ominous orange glow coming from behind it. The air felt much hotter, a sign they were at the right place. "Ah, you're still alive. This is the throne room, we must hurry." Bruno stated, having made his way here just now himself. Alfonse kicked the door open to see something none of them were prepared for...

There in that room, several mages were lined in a circle, their robes singed and black steam rising from them. An aura of fire magic being drained from their bodies to feed what was in the center: a dead body. A bulky one that despite being partially decomposed was still very muscular, the bits with exposed bones revealing that even its skeleton was huge. It was being lifted up by some unseen force as flames radiated from its body. Standing there chanting what was undoubtably part of the resurrection ritual.

She chanted up to what was left of Surtr, **"-So wrap thyself in flames of hate, and seal for them their rightful fate. Scorch all whom against you stand, reignite and live again." **She turned to face her uninvited guests. "Hehehe... Brother dearest, sometimes we fail to see eye to eye. How amusing then that you'd deliver me the audience I crave." Bruno stepped forth, "You're not thinking straight, Veronica! There's no way any good can come from that... _THING _coming back to life!" Her smirk grew much more bitter after that. "Oh? Summoning an ally when on the brink of defeat worked quite well for your little Askr friends. It's only fair I even The playing field." Bruno shook his head. "I'm only going to emphasize this one more time: if that monster walks this land again then all shall burn to his liking. That includes Askr, and Embla, and you."

Veronica laughed into the wind. "Unlikely. My heroes are strong. Xander especially. So long as they draw breath, he will not lay a finger on me." She then turned her attention to Kiran. "Ugh. You again. If you never showed up, I wouldn't have to take such measures... I don't know what manner of witchcraft you pulled to make me spare you back then, but I will not be so weak of mind anymore. I will do what must be done for Embla!" Kiran for once decided to willingly take her hood off. "Are your people really so hateful that you feel forced to do this? More destruction isn't gonna solve anything, it's just gonna make more people miserable." Veronica seemed to be affected by the sight of Kiran's eyes. She growled at herself.

"Argh! Why do you always have to look at me like you're so innocent and pure!? A little news flash, Kiran, but in the real world sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. My people will abandon me if I don't do as they want, and I will not be alone again..." it was then Kiran discovered what it was that made Veronica spare her in the ruins: they're just so alike emotionally. Only she seems to embrace her destructive feelings. They then heard the voice they really didn't wanna hear right now. Loki appeared in front of them, her previous wounds completely nonexistent! "Didn't expect to see me? I learned a fun little trick from this 'Yukimura' guy involving clones. Anyway, hate to burst your bubble, children but you're too late. Too little too late."

Alfonse raised his sword. "It's not over till we say it is!" But the ground then shook as the mages burst into flames and burnt away into nothing. A demented, almost demonic shout coming from Surtr's body as it was consumed by a pillar of fire. "The big guy would disagree, dear." His muscles popped and contorted into place as his muscle and skin started regrowing themselve, cracking sounds heard as fissures of magma exploded from the ground outside and the storm went ballistic! His eyes and hair grew back and the cracks and tears in his armor mended themselves. "This... can't be happening!" Kiran tried to reassure herself, as if doing that would change this. She felt so afraid in the face of this creature...! It was over. It was just over, there was no way she could beat that!

Fire blew everywhere as Surtr's regeneration was complete. A scorching inferno covering most the room as everyone hugged the walls so not to be cremated. Then the fire died back down to the center of the room as Surtr's feet touched the floor. His presence overpowering everything in the now singed room. Smoke was everywhere, but they could still see the living monstrosity standing before them. Loki knelt down in front of him. "Loki..." his voice was deep, yet oddly calm unlike the bloody murder that was his demented screams a few seconds before. Well, perhaps it wasn't 'calm' so much as 'unemotional', but it sounded way less spine chilling then if he was angry. "Had a pleasant journey, sire? I hope you didn't mind the whole agonizing torturous pain the ritual came with there." Surtr looked at himself, turning his head almost robotically to look at his clawed hand and reinvigorated biceps. His entire body aglow with dim flames. His frown grew into a frightening smile as he looked up. "It has begun..."


	10. Enter Múspell

...Everyone just stood there, mouths agape in horror. Alfonse was glad he didn't seem as huge as when he was a kid, but he still easily towered over him. Veronica walked up to Surtr. "So you are the legendary king of Múspell? Intriguing." Surtr looked down at the shrimp of a princess, whom somehow displayed no fear towards him. "Loki. What is this insect?" Loki then rested her face on her hands and her hands on her scepter. "To revive you I had to make a promise here and there. That's princess Veronica, and she wanted a partnership." Surtr then materialized his axe-spear hybrid into his hand. "Hmf. Can a mouse be of use to a cat? If I am to consider the offer, I'll need assurance you won't slow us down."

Veronica looked him dead in the eyes, still miraculously unflinching. "We have mighty warriors. Heroes from every world. My general being Xander." Surtr didn't recognize that name. Loki leaned in and made an illusion of him with her magic. "This guy, milord." Surtr stroked his beard approvingly. "Hmm... yes. I sense great resolve in him. By all means, he should be running this country." He returned his attention to Veronica. "Still, what could possibly hold you at bay if this power is so significant?" Veronica gestured towards the cowering order of heroes. "The white ones. You need not bother with the last. He's my brother, and I would not ask you to spill his blood." Surtr then slowly turned to face them. Alfonse shakily pointed his sword at him. "Surtr..." the beast of a man slowly approached them.

"Gustav...? No. No, you're not him... But the resemblance, it's uncanny." He tried to look brave in the face of such a threat. Surtr's eyes widened. "Ah. I see. Heheheh... I had longed for the chance to destroy the blowhard for his unwillingness to hear my pleas. It appears I can take more from him than simple honor or dignity." Alfonse then shouted at him, "You're not half the king my father is!" The whole room went silent. Surtr's smile widened. "Amusing. It appears you inherited his acid tongue. How it always wags at me defiantly, even in the face of utter demise. Normally I'd be angry. But considering I am now reborn, I'm in a generous mood. So as a parting gift, I'll end you slowly and with minimal agony." He laughed to himself as they heard him tighten his grip on his axe.

Bruno grit his teeth. "He's too strong for us, we must retreat!" But Alfonse was too consumed by anger at Surtr's blatant disrespect. When Surtr sliced at them, Alfonse blocked with his sword, just barely keeping his grip on his blade upon impact. But just as he tried to think of his next move, Surtr kicked him in the gut, knocking him backwards onto his knees. "Oh, the things I've missed. I had forgotten how intoxicating the thrill of battle can be." Surtr gloated to the woeful prince. "Brother, you can't beat him, just leave with us!" Sharena begged as Bruno tried his best to force them with him. But Alfonse didn't listen and went in for another strike, only for Surtr to easily catch it with his bare hand. "Stubborn boy. I can't tell if I'm entertained by your pride or so overcome with pity that I should put you out of your misery." Surtr took his helmet off and lowered his weapon, openly inviting Alfonse to hit him.

Kiran knew he was going to die if he didn't realize how outmatched he was, but she just couldn't reach him. Alfonse attacked Surtr one last time, hitting him in the neck intending to cut it, but his sword failed to even make a dent against metal-like endurance of his skin. "Now do you see, boy? I am invincible. Drown me in a sea of blades and no harm would come to me." It was at this moment Alfonse truly realized just what he was dealing with. "Fear not. Your father will be joining you where you're going." And he leisurely swung at Alfonse, effortlessly cutting through his armor and leaving a slash that just barely missed his heart. He was lucky Surtr was just toying with him, but that wound needed attention soon.

"Milord, now!" This time he heard Anna calling out to him, and the lot of them fled the room. Surtr didn't even bother chasing them. Veronica was impressed, but skeptical that Surtr wasn't going to finish them here and now. "You're just gonna let them go...?" Surtr looked to Veronica, "I win all my fights instantly, girl. Don't you think they should live in fear a bit longer? It's not like they'll have many places to go in time anyway." Veronica saw his point. Though he was certainly more powerful than she anticipated, he was loyal to her and thus she wouldn't worry about such matters now. The five fighters followed Bruno to an escape route. All exits to the castle were cut off, so they needed to find another way out. Alfonse was ashamed he lost so easily, but he was glad he was alive to fight another day.

They darted through the halls and out onto the flier deck. Bruno explained, "we keep all our aerial mounts here. If we can snag a ride, we could get out of here!" They all raced through the rain, cutting through nameless soldier after nameless soldier, even going as far as to knock some of them over the edge. They then found what they were looking for: a few wyverns that hadn't been manned yet. "Alright, get on quick! The enemy won't be far behind!" Anna shouted, but as Alfonse, Bruno, and Anna all boarded one they saw something in the sky. The lightning flashed, exposing the silhouette of a wyvern already in the sky. "We've got company! You guys go, we'll handle this." Sharena ordered, knowing they wouldn't get far being tailed. Bruno and the others hesitated for a moment, but they didn't have time for hesitation and so just flew off.

The wyvern circled forebodingly above before swiftly pulling up as whoever was riding it dived off and landed on the ground in front of them. Without the clouds obscuring her, they could now easily see her face. She had wet-sand colored skin, almost as dark as Surtr's. She wore black and red armor and her hair was a very faint green. She also wore a cape and a gold head accessory that made her look like a jackal. She got to her feet and pointed her blade at them. "So it is done. Amazing I'm presented the chance to see you with my own eyes." Sharena got readied her lance. "That emblem... You're with Múspell, aren't you!?" They did the old counter clockwise as the rain continued to fall on them. "I am. My name is Laegjarn. That is all you need to know before..." she trailed off before the last few words, most likely to strike fear into them.

Sharena stood in front of Kiran, "I won't let you hurt my friends!" Kiran decided to replace Hinoka with Beruka so that they could have a decent flier for when they take off. Alfonse and the others had Bruno, so they'll probably be fine. As Sharena and Laegjarn prepared to fight, she instructed Beruka to take the wyvern and use it to cripple Laegjarn's. A solid idea, considering it'd prevent her from giving chase. "Fight me, princess of Askr!" Laegjarn challenged, as she leaped forward and began her duel. Sharena was on the defense of course, wanting to avoid fighting more than she had to as she was losing steam courtesy of her previous fight with Xander. As the two of them saw the two wyverns in a cage match above them, it inspired them both to fight harder.

"You blights are a clever bunch, but it will do you no good. Father lives, and that spells your defeat by itself." Laegjarn stated as she kicked Sharena in the face diagonally, giving her a nice bruise. But Sharena's spirit was equally strong as her brother's. "We'll find a way! We always do!" She then pinned her lance through her opponent's shoulder as the roars of the two dragons above fought for supremacy over the raging storm. Laegjarn headbutted Sharena and pulled the lance out of her before tossing it back to the blonde. "Stand up and fight, princess. If you cannot defeat me, how can you hope to beat father?" Sharena grabbed her weapon and shakily stood in defiance.

Laegjarn wanted to motivate her. So she turned her head to Kiran. "You do realize what fools you are for not taking her on the first wyvern? If what Loki says is true, she's the life support of your team. What do you think would happen if she expired here?" When Sharena heard that, something snapped and she charged screaming at Laegjarn. She rammed head in with her elbow, and when she tried to retaliate with her sword she intercepted it with her lance and shoved it into the floor with her foot. She then swung her lance like a sword, cutting a grizzly cut across Laegjarn's face. Dazed from the sudden rush, Sharena seized the opportunity and kicked her off her feet, knocking her to the cold wet ground.

Laegjarn's dragon hit the ground seconds later, being overtaken by Beruka. Sharena then grabbed Laegjarn by the collar and touched her lance to her heart. Laegjarn dawned a proud smile, which was now missing some teeth. "Very good. So this is the strength of Askr. You've won fair and square, so you may leave." Sharena wasn't ready to take Laegjarn's twisted sense of honor, but Kiran called out to her. "Sharena! We have to go now!" Sharena was snapped back out of her rage and looked between Kiran who was now perched on the wyvern, and the beaten general/princess of Múspell. She did at the very least fight fair, and for that she would let her go just this once. She solemnly stood over her defeated opponent. "No one is invincible. Least of all Surtr." She left the broken swordswoman to think about her decisions as she joined Kiran on the wyvern.

And like that, they were off. Kiran looked back at Sharena as they were now out of range of the catapults and the castle faded in the distance. "I'll summon a healer when we're safe... we just need to find the others." Sharena paused, but then smiled for her. "It's okay. Don't worry about me." That was the Sharena they knew. The rain had soaked them long before getting on board. They were only now given the time to realize it. Then Kiran noticed something. She felt inside her pocket and felt where the drawing was from the little girl, but all she felt was mush. She pulled it out only for it to dissolve before her very eyes. It was like the universe was making a point at her expense. The cruel point that now countless people were at risk now that Surtr was back. She whimpered as the shreds were lost in the wind.

"Hey. It's okay. We'll protect them. I mean, it's either that or give up. So don't lose hope." Kiran wiped the tears from her face even though the rain made it hard to see them anyway. Gunnthra did say that she thought this was inevitable. And if it is, she didn't do anything wrong. But now they would need to find a way to stop this. And the first step was escaping and thinking of a plan. She wasn't gonna let all she cared about go up in flames. Not to Surtr, not to anyone.

At that exact moment, Loki has appeared sitting on the neck of the wyvern with her legs criss-crossed. "Hope I'm not interrupting. Congratulations on surviving the first encounter, girls." Loki!? Not now! "So I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I've already knocked your friends out of the sky, and you'll be no exception. It'll be fun...! until you hit the ground that is." Everyone was looking for something they could throw to stop her, but she climbed on the wyvern's face and shot fire in its eyes! "Loki used ember! It's super effective!" Loki then laughed as she vanished as they started losing altitude. Everyone clung on for dear life as they fell from the sky. "Not gonna lie, I am _REALLY _starting to hate that woman!" Sharena shouted, as if everyone didn't know that already. They all screamed as the ground got closer and closer, then everything went black...

**(So I officially have a new story up about Echoes. I'm probably not gonna give it the same priority as this one, or atleast not until this one is wrapped up considering it's a rewrite and all, but it's there if you wanna check it out.)**


	11. Dante’s inferno

**(Last chapter came out pretty well, as I seemed to get back into my creative flow. Now that Múspell is here, I'm hoping I can keep the ball rolling. But you can't really force yourself to be creative, so just understand if I run out of steam sometimes. Thank you.)**

The world seemed to be spinning as Kiran dizzily rolled her eyes open. Ever since she was a child she had a fear of falling, but given the circumstances, she was just relieved her bones weren't shattered to splinters. When she was finally able to stabilize herself it dawned on her she wasn't in the real world. "What are you doing on the ground?" She sat up rubbing her head and turned to see Gunnthra. This time the dreamscape was of a long grassy field. The two of them on a hill with Gunnthra sitting under a tree. The autumn leaves scattered every here and there.

Kiran got up and joined her friend. "Loki's meddling. I'm afraid I couldn't stop her. Surtr returned just like you said." Kiran explained as she got comfortable, finding some relaxation in how beautiful this dream was. "Don't mourn over what could've been. Some things are just meant to happen. But since preventing his resurrection is no longer an option, we'll need to slay him once more." Kiran picked up a leaf and then blew it out into the wind. "But how? Nothing seems to hurt him at all." Gunnthra wrapped an arm around her. "When mother passed away, I was given the responsibility of ruling Nifl. In doing so, my advisors taught me a long held family secret: the method that had defeated Surtr in the first place." Kiran's eyes lit up. Atleast there was a chance of success, no matter how small.

"However, Surtr knows this too. I anticipate he will seek out my family and attempt to destroy us before we can enact our plan. As queen, I have gone into hiding, but my siblings are not so fortunate. If what my visions have told me are true, my sister Fjorm will be essential for this plan. I need you to go and find her before Surtr gets to her first." And there was the catch. They just barely escaped that freak of nature, and now they had to barrel back in again...

"Do you know where she is now?" Kiran asked. "Not precisely, but I sense the general area she's in. Her body temperature is a dead giveaway after all. What I'm asking of you is no doubt much, but I believe in you." Kiran then realized something, but Gunnthra was able to tell what she was thinking. "Don't worry about Loki hijacking our dream again. It takes time to locate our dream so I'm making our chats a bit shorter. Besides, she's probably distracted by her duties out there anyway." That was a relief. She's long overstayed her welcome as it is. Then the world around them started to fade into a white light. "What's happening?" Kiran nervously inquired.

"It appears someone's trying to wake you up. The connection is collapsing. I'll guide you to Fjorm as much as i can. Don't lose hope, Kiran." and like that she was gone. The white turned to black as she felt herself on the ground again. This time incredibly weared down and exhausted. She heard a voice echoing to the surface... "-an!? Ki...!? Kiran, please wake up!" Her eyes shot open as she gasped for air. Sharena looking over her, some noticeable injuries on the both of them. She weakly turned her head to see the crash site they were involved in before she blacked out. "I don't think I wanna see another wyvern for as long as I live. We were really lucky we landed on some trees. Looks like no one was seriously wounded." Kiran was glad they survived that. "How... how long was I-agh!" Kiran made the mistake of trying to force herself up too quickly. "Careful, you're still hurt. But to answer your question, I think a few hours..." Okay, not much time was lost. That was good.

Kiran summoned Sakura to heal them up. Sharena was good as new instantly, while a few of Kiran's major bruises vanished. "Oh yes, we ran into this last time you were out. It appears that healing magic is much slower on you because you're from another world." Sakura explained. Sharena helped her friend to her feet. "Can you walk?" Kiran definitely felt better after that. "Yes... yes, I think so." Sharena's worry seemed to vanish. "Good. We need to find the others. If there's any chance they're still kicking, we need to join back up." Sounded like a solid plan. Maybe they'd even bump into Fjorm on the way. But then Sharena looked down at Kiran's side. "What's that?" Kiran raised her hand to see some sort of blue arrow made of magic on it. The arrow seemed to turn whenever she did. This must be what Gunnthra mentioned about guiding her.

"Long story. Saw Gunnthra again, and apparently her sister is going to be crucial in defeating Surtr." Luckily Sharena was able to connect the dots without further explanation. "I did hear you talking in your sleep about something like that... we should probably hurry then. We got pretty far, but Surtr's forces could be anywhere with all the time that's passed." Looks like their escape plan would take a slight detour, but they have proved themselves enduring many times already.

**Meanwhile somewhere else...**

Nifl's army was clashing with Múspell's revitalized troops. Ylgr sticking close to Hrid and Fjorm storming the front lines. This was to be expected as she was the strongest warrior in Nifl. Plus her headstrong image helped secure morale. Gunnthra had told them before they left that they might bump into the mysterious woman in their dreams soon, but Fjorm understood she couldn't put all her chips down on a miracle until she had sufficient proof. She did partially hold the lives of her people after all. "Stand down, Múspell. You waste your breath." She announced to the enemy soldiers after slaying their captain. Even though they were few in number, they were confident all the same. That could only mean one thing...

Fjorm turned to her family. "Surtr approaches. Ylgr, I'd ask you retreat. It'd be best if they couldn't get all of us even if I fall." Ylgr really didn't like being reminded of the prospect of her family falling to Surtr, but she obliged all the same. Meanwhile, Hrid joined Fjorm. They'd need all the fighting power they could muster. Right on schedule, a huge plume of fire erupted in the distance as they saw the nightmare closing in in the distance. The sky was black, embers filled the air, but they must keep fighting. Surtr was joined by Laevatein, his younger daughter. Her skin was exactly the same shade as her sister Laegjarn, and she wore similar black armor, only hers allowed more movement at the cost of less protection.

The grass under Surtr's feet burst into flames the second his foot made contact with it, and he stood solemnly in front of his army. He then pointed at the two royal siblings as their men cowered. "Royalty of Nifl! I challenge you to two on two combat! If you value the safety of your men, I recommend you face me!" He shouted in a booming voice, sending panic into the both of them. But they stepped out nonetheless. Hrid spoke as both their armies watched. "We do not fear you, King Surtr. You are mad with power thirst. And we shall take it upon ourselves to demonstrate." Surtr took out his axe. "Big talker. Very well. You shall be given the honor of being the first slain by my hand." Fjorm did not like their odds, but right now she had to focus on the task at hand: Laevatein.

Laevatein stared blankly at Fjorm as she drew her lance. "So you are a princess of Múspell? I will confess I can tell you're strong." Laevatein's dead eyed expression refused to yield as she drew the weapon with which she shared a name. "Snow is something temporary. It falls, forms up, and then melts away in the sun. You are no different. Father shall be the sun that scorches Nifl to nothing." Neither of them wanting to waste any more time on idle chitchat, they began their duel. Laevatein leaped into the air and came diving down to strike Fjorm, but Fjorm veered to the side to send her blade sliding down her lance.

Upon touching the ground, Laevatein started brewing a fireball behind her back as the continued trading blows. Fjorm, seeing what she was up to started forming a ball of ice in her own hand. When they two blasted each other at the same time with their respective element, the force blew them back with a mighty gust of wind. Laevatein chuckled, impressed by her foe's skill. "Enough with the warm up. My blood boils with the heat of a phoenix." She struck her sword into the ground and slashed it upwards, creating cracks of lava that raced towards Fjorm. Fjorm acted fast, hopping from foot to foot over the quickly spreading hotspots like a ninja. When she reached Laevatein again, she cast her arm forward to summon a gust of cold wind to steal some of her focus as she swooped in for the kill.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hrid struggling against the towering behemoth. Surtr not even bothering to exert the effort to block his attacks, and yet nothing could penetrate the wall of steel he called skin. Turning her attention back to Laevatein, she struck at her as the princess blocked with her sword. The two of them pushing against the other in an attempt to overpower their opposition first. Fjorm glew blue as she called forth more of her power while Laevatein burned red doing the same. Even her skin was turning a slight hue of red. But eventually the both of their weapons were blown out of their hands from the buildup.

Not wanting to waste precious seconds retrieving them, the two engaged in a fist fight. Laevatein roaring as she continued her assault. Laevatein swarmed her with fast attacks in an attempt to overwhelm her while Fjorm tried to keep a cool head and waited for her to leave an opening. Sure enough, she exhausted herself and Fjorm quietly blasted her chest with ice before kicking her off her feet and shattering it. Laevatein scurried to her knees and picked up her sword, having been knocked close enough to it. But as the two princesses stared at one another, panting. They heard Hrid's voice call out.

"Soldiers of Nifl, retreat!" Fjorm gasped and looked over to see her brother beaten half to death. Sweat covering him. "Brother!?" Hrid looked to Fjorm, "We can't win, Fjorm! It's best to run and fight again another day!" Seeing his current state, she could tell he was serious. The army retreated as Fjorm and Hrid ran in opposite directions. "Don't you dare, cowards! I order you to stay and fight!" The two of them saw a circle of flames encase the field around them. Hrid managed to leap over it before it rose too high, but Fjorm wasn't quite so lucky. Was this it? Was this the end for her? "You're a slippery lot, just like your mother. But I won't be so sloppy this time." Surtr said as he formed an orb of fire in his hand. Just when all hope seemed lost, Fjorm saw someone slide down from nearby. It was a woman in a maid's outfit with blue hair.

"You must flee, milady." The woman said as she used some sort of ice powers to weaken the flames. Not asking questions, Fjorm did the same and grabbed her lance for good measure. When a hole in the wall of fire formed, she dived through it as it replenished itself and just barely missed her. Surtr gritted his teeth. "Run to the ends of the earth! I will still find you!" The two ladies then made like the fire emblem community and split. When they got far enough away, they finally caught their breath. "Thank you so much... you saved my life. But who... who are you?" Fjorm asked between breaths.

The woman smiled. "I'm Flora. But in all honesty it wasn't really _me _that saved you..." from behind the trees, two emblian soldiers emerged. A manakete and a cleric. Fjorm was about to raise her weapon, but Flora stopped her. "They summoned me here." Fjorm paused and looked at them for a minute. That manakete... that blue hair, why does it look so...!? The cleric took off her headdress to reveal a long haired blonde underneath. "Glad to see you're safe, Princess Fjorm." Then it all clicked in her mind. She turned to the manakete. "You...! You're the one Gunnthra mentioned!" She nodded. Sharena held onto her shoulders, introducing her. "This is Kiran. And yeah, she knows her."

Fjorm was glad to see a friendly face. Especially since it was this 'Kiran' person. The three of them happily set off, going to find the Askrans other allies.

**But elsewhere in the forest...**

Ylgr was sure she must've been far enough. Though being all alone in the forest at night was not something she wanted to experience. Every tree looked like it could have a bear behind it. Or-or maybe there'd be a nest of wasps in one of the trees, or a snake lurking in the bushes or... Okay, okay, just calm down. This was definitely much better than facing Surtr, but she still wasn't feeling too great about not knowing if her siblings survived the encounter. Then she heard a distant voice from somewhere behind her. "Ylgr? Ylgr, are you here? It's me." That voice...! She knew that voice, it was Fjorm!

She happily rushed to the sound of the voice, all her previous worries starting to drift off. "Over here, I'm fine, Fjorm!" And as she reached a clearing in the woods, she found... Loki. And a bunch of mean looking soldiers. Loki smiled mockingly, still using Fjorm's voice. "We're sorry. Fjorm's not here right now. Would you like to try again later?" Ylgr would be annoyed if she wasn't currently surrounded by troops. Loki walked up and when she tried to use her spellbook she backhanded it away. Loki decided to use her real voice now. "Don't worry, cutey. Big sis will be seeing you soon..."

**(So just as a thing that happened, I wrote bits of this while my mom was babysitting. Because that's her job: a daycare...er of sorts. But she takes care of all the kids here at home. I don't know how I managed to keep my sanity while being distracted by a baby in the next room screaming bloody murder like Lemongrab, but I managed it somehow.)**


	12. Cooldown

**(Fire Emblem: Three Houses inches closer and closer by the day. It must be meant to be that I have it considering it comes out the day before my birthday. So what faction would I join? Pfft. The blue lions, of course. I like their color, I like Dimitri, I like the premise of their kingdom, it's just the right choice for me.)**

After last night's whole ordeal, it was safe to say that a little break from the chaos was well appreciated. And now that they didn't have any immediate goals, and at a distance from the enemy, now was that time. Before going to sleep, Kiran and Sharena changed back into their normal outfits as it would make them easier to recognize by their allies if they met up. So the trio picked a good spot to lay down for the night and set up camp. Of course, they had no beds or tents or anything, so the ground had to do. It was rough getting there, but eventually everyone fell asleep.

At this point, Kiran wasn't surprised she was in the dreamscape again. But she actually liked it. She had only known Gunnthra for a very short time, but they had already become very close. She couldn't really hone in on why, but Gunnthra just made things clear in an overwhelming world that doesn't make sense. The dream she was in this time was definitely leaning more towards hers this time. How could she tell? This time it took form as her old house. She was standing on the front lawn as the snow gently fell around her. It was her perfect vision of a winter wonderland. She loved the winter even before all this anyway.

Feeling inclined to explore, she went inside and found everything really _was _exactly as she remembered it. Then again, her memory of this place had faded quite a lot, so maybe something was different. She entered her old room, and saw just how small it was now that she was older. It didn't have any toys in it. There was her old dollhouse and that little leappad thing she got for her birthday once. Man, that thing is ancient nowadays. She sat down on her bed as she saw Gunnthra standing in the doorway.

"My, this is a peculiar place. I take it if you're dreaming of this you have a strong connection to it, right?" As she sat down next to her. "Yeah. Back then everything was so simple. The most I was ever concerned with was just having fun or if I needed an adult to reach something for me. It was the happiest time of my life, as anyone's childhood should be." Gunnthra smiled and gently hugged her. "I saw what you did. I can't thank you enough for saving Fjorm. I knew I could rely on you." Kiran started blushing as she let Gunnthra hug her. Letting go, the two of them moved to other matters.

"So now that she's safe, we should all meet up. You and your allies should come to Nifl, where I reside. And don't worry about your other friends, they're alive and well. I'll lead them in your direction similar to what I did before." Kiran nodded. "Alright then. It'd be wonderful to see you in person." The two sat there. Having more time on their hands, they decided to talk more. "So I take it you once lived here?" Kiran nodded again. "Yeah. The memory practically looks like a dream now that I've forgotten so much. But I do remember how happy I was here. Not really because of the house itself, but because of how everything was back then."

She found herself beginning to think out loud. "I remember my first snow day here. I loved the snow. I rode a sled down a hill, and tried to make a snowman even though I was pretty bad at rolling snow. It was just innocent childhood fun. Eventually we moved to another state because my dad had gotten a promotion, but I still remember this place fondly." That's when she was noticing the paint on the walls slowly drying out, but she didn't bother commenting on it. "Mom and dad... they always seemed so happy together. Or maybe they just did a better job at hiding it back then... I would never want to force them back into something that made them miserable but..."

Gunnthra noticed the paint was chipping, and from what she heard, the snow outside had turned to rain. The color in the room was slowly seeping away. "The dream is responding to your sadness. Tell me Kiran, have you... ever told anyone about these feelings?" Kiran's head sunk a bit. "No... we've got enough things to worry about, I wouldn't want to burden anyone else with something I've been able to tolerate for years." Gunnthra held her chin to get her to look at her. "If its been going on for that long, it's just not healthy to contain dark emotions like that. Otherwise it just builds and builds and then something sets you off that spills everything out at once."

Kiran grew a sad smile which only made Gunnthra more worried. "Its... already happened with you, hasn't it?" Kiran didn't nod, but she knew her answer. She held Kiran's hands. "Let's just start over: Kiran, do you trust me?" Kiran seemed to shake out of her mood a bit. "Of course I do." Then some of the color started returning to the room. Perfectly demonstrating Gunnthra's point. "See? Friends will help. There are just some tasks you can't do on your own. Fjorm struggled with that much as a kid herself. Always trying to be strong when there's no shame in relying on others every now and then."

Kiran just paused. She didn't know if she felt ready to tell everyone about this rather sensitive subject yet. Gunnthra smiled to cheer her up. "It'll be okay. Take your time. Find someone you trust enough to say something. You'll find it's much easier to face the darkness when people know you're in pain." This conversation didn't make Kiran feel pleasant, but in her heart she knew it would help her evolve as a person. So she decided to take her advice and act when she felt comfortable. Gunnthra saw Kiran felt better now. And just in time too.

"We'll meet soon. Just think about it, alright?" Kiran's smile became much more real now. "Alright. I'll try my best." Gunnthra seemed relieved she helped her, even a little. "Then there is nothing we need fear." And so the dream ended. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. She awoke with a noticeable soreness to her limbs. Sleeping on the ground will do that to you. At the very least it was dry when they all slept. In war, the weather doesn't make any compromises. Fjorm already seemed to be well awake, staring off into the distance. Kiran got up, about to speak but Fjorm explained before she could say anything.

"You were talking to my sister last night. I could tell. I'm sorry for saying this after you saved me so recently, but I don't know if I can stay with you. Gunnthra's very much alive, but I have no idea where the other two are. Hrid is strong, but anyone can become overtaxed given the right circumstances. And then there's Ylgr. She's quick on her feet, for whatever that's worth, but she isn't good at reading a map, and has a bad habit of overthinking or underthinking a situation..." Kiran walked over to her. "It's only natural to be concerned about your family. But they could be anywhere in this forest. And with Surtr stomping around, we don't wanna idle for too long."

Fjorm faced her. "That sounds right, but it just doesn't feel right. I was hoping I'd be able to atleast weaken Surtr, find Ylgr, and be back home with the others within the hour... but clearly that wasn't in the cards. I don't want to sound ungrateful, Kiran, I just..." Kiran walked closer to her. "Defeating Surtr is our top priority, but we'll find them as best we can." She was going to add she knew how it felt to fear losing something, but now wasn't the time. Fjorm seemed convinced though, and giggled. "Okay, you've sold me. I've been told I have a bad habit of taking matters into my own hands. Slowing down and thinking just this once wouldn't hurt."

With that little bit of drama over for the both of them, the three had some bear meat to start off the day, (which Sharena mentioned was awfully familiar somehow, but she couldn't pinpoint why), and they set out for Nifl. Luckily Fjorm knew where it was already, so they wouldn't need the aid of one of Gunnthra's arrow spells. A few hours into their voyage, they saw something in a clearing in the trees. "Wait... Kiran, is that...!?" They were all relieved to see Bruno, Alfonse, and Anna. Perfectly fine just as Gunnthra said. Sharena ran up to them while the other two decided to walk. "Is she always like this?" Fjorm asked. "Most of the time." Kiran replied, remembering how Sharena bombarded her with questions last night about her ice powers.

Sharena and Alfonse hugged one another as the groups traded stories. "We actually saw someone dressed like Fjorm run by last night, but we didn't pay him much mind." Alfonse explained. Fjorm was disappointed she couldn't know more, but it was better than nothing. Bruno stood before the group. "Well, now that I can say everyone's safe, I'm afraid I must leave. For I must resume my search. I hope you understand." Everyone seemed okay with that. "Alright. And thanks for the help, Zachari- Bruno." Alfonse answered. Bruno chuckled. "Still so sentimental. But we wouldn't have you any other way." They all waved him goodbye as he left. With renewed hope, they all marched on to Nifl...

**(Now for all you black eagles and golden deer out there, don't worry. I intend to play every campaign and see what each has to offer. Trying only one would be like only having a 3rd of a pie. And unlike Fates, I _don't _need to chase down 3 separate games this time.)**


	13. Freezerburn

**(Anyone who knows me personally knows I have an ear for music. And by the time I'm writing this, I heard some that was so perfect for this story I felt compelled to start this chapter early. Plus, I know I'm gonna be busy with family stuff tomorrow anyway. The music in question is "Dire Dire Docks/Jolly Roger Bay Remix" by YouTube user, DJLahbreee. The instant I heard it I was like, "_Yes, this is exactly the music for Gunnthra's dream scenes!" _So I encourage you all to check it out. But enough of me rambling. Let's begin.)**

The way to Nifl was, as expected, very snowy. But it was never too cold, and the sky was clear the whole way. If they weren't currently at war, Kiran would consider visiting on her spare time for some fun in the snow. So while the tactician's mind wandered to a daydream of what she would do on that snow day, her friends chatted amongst themselves. "So do you know why did Surtr went mad? I could tell he was vicious and merciless, but he doesn't look crazy. Just evil." Anna asked. Fjorm consulted her memory. "Unfortunately I barely know more than you do. All I can think of is one thing that could be linked to it. One day Surtr arrived to the castle seemingly unprompted to talk with mother."

Sharena furrowed her brow. "Do you know why?" Fjorm didn't know the details of it. "I asked mother about it later, and she said he was seeking wisdom concerning a problem his family was facing." That wasn't much to go off, but it was better than nothing. So they ventured on, thankful that the cold here would weaken Surtr and his generals. They eventually made it to a giant gate that was unmistakably the last thing between them and Nifl. Fjorm approaches the gate. "We're almost there. Gunnthra put the kingdom on lockdown to protect our people from the coming threat. It will require a little ice magic to open, so please hold tight. And whatever happens, don't let me be interrupted, or I'll have to start over again." They all nodded as she got to work on the gate.

It was forebodingly quiet. Everyone was looking into the trees and bushes for enemies. A few minutes later, they saw someone approached them. They were thankful their build meant they weren't Surtr, but they knew by their headpiece that she was no ally. "I'm hoping you didn't forget about me. Not after all the clashes we've had." It was Veronica. Despite her being the only one in the open, they knew she wasn't dumb enough to take them all on by herself. Alfonse stepper forward. "Because of you, Surtr is back. Even you must see he is incapable of following people he views as 'beneath him'. Much less take orders from them." She smirked. "Of all the lives you should worry over, mine is not one of them."

She then looked at Kiran, whom was standing behind her friends. "Don't think I've forgotten about you either. Ever since you've arrived you've been a thorn in my side. I couldn't bring myself to finish you before, but I will not be so merciful this time. Surtr can do what he wants with your precious allies, but you are MINE." She snapped her fingers and three figures sprang from the trees. Laegjarn, Laevatein, and Xander. Everyone drew their weapons. They just had to stall for time until Fjorm could open the gate. The princesses of Múspell looked especially ready for payback. Their feet turning the snow beneath them black.

Kiran summoned Mikoto, and like that it was on. "Strike!" Veronica commanded, as she and her fighters rushed in. Anna and Mikoto fought off Veronica and Xander while the Askr siblings took on their Múspell counterparts. Anna struggled against Xander, having the weapon disadvantage, but that's a good reason why Kiran summoned Mikoto, as she is a healer. That said, Kiran herself wasn't very safe as Veronica deliberately tried targeting her. She didn't know if this was Gunnthra helping her, but all her attacks were missing her with incredible frequency.

Meanwhile Alfonse and Laegjarn were in an all out brawl. Since Laegjarn values a fair fight, she chose not to fight on her wyvern. "So you lead this army? The order of heroes is becoming a household name, even as far as Múspell. Such a shame it has to end so briefly." She stated as she blasted fireballs at him that he deflected with his sword like some sort of rhythm game. Laegjarn quickly realized he wouldn't go down so easily and struck him with fast blows in an attempt to overwhelm him. "We've lasted this long because of our bonds. Something your leader wouldn't understand!" He then winded up his arm to attack Laegjarn as she moved out of the way only to turn with her and get a good clean swipe at her. "And that's why he'll lose."

Sharena and Laevatein were elegant in their movements like some dance of death. Right now the two of them were in a power struggle as their weapons clashed. "You lack discipline. You dare call yourself royalty? You're an embarrassment to blue bloods everywhere." She threw her full force at her, breaking her guard and knocking her off balance. Seizing the opportunity, she struck at her. But Sharena grabbed the hilt of her sword mid-way, and used its momentum against it to plunge it into the snow where it made a crackling sound upon introduction to the frozen water. Her enemy now disarmed, she slashed her across the midriff with her lance, and pinned her weapon against her throat to prevent her from getting back up. "I may not be as mature as my brother, but I'll do what it takes to protect my friends."

Xander and Veronica were smart in that they would switch opponents when necessary, and even joining in for a combined attack. Even so, Veronica was just about ready to blow her top considering some sort of force was preventing her from striking down Kiran once and for all. That's when she realized just before her attack hits her, every time she feels a ping of that emotion from their last battle. It was causing her to lose focus and miss! "URGH! How do you keep doing this to me!?" She wasn't gonna get cold feet again. Not here, not now. And not in a literal sense, as the snow already made it too late for avoiding that. She tossed her spellbook into the snow out of frustration and charged passed Mikoto to get to Kiran.

"Milady, what are you doing!?" Xander asked, before both of their opponents turned their full attention to him. Kiran and Veronica then got into a fist fight, with Veronica being the only one who was delivering any hits as Kiran ducked and blocked the flurry of punches that honestly didn't hurt all that much. "You're not getting away again, worm! Surtr's alive! You've lost! Just accept your fate!" Then one of her stray hits missed Kiran's face by an inch, but knocked her hood off revealing those accursed eyes of hers. And then that feeling returned at full force. Veronica felt equal parts tempted to look away so she wouldn't be affected and to keep looking so she could decipher what was going on. As her hesitation set in and her attacks got slower and less forceful, Kiran caught her wrist.

"Veronica... it's not about winning or losing. It's about doing what's right." Veronica just stood there panting. But then she realized something. The thing that was making her so reluctant to hurt Kiran. Though it was much fainter now compared to then, she finally saw where this feeling of guilt in her harm came from: in those eyes was... loneliness. Just like her. It was harder to see, but there it was. "You..." Veronica quietly said, not knowing what to say. She understood it too well. You could be surrounded by heroes from every world, and it wouldn't help beyond a a day or two... but before she could finish that thought, she heard Fjorm shout. "The gate is open! Hurry in!" Everyone started to run for the gate. Kiran put her hood back up, and turned to run. She only stalled a moment to look back at the shocked princess and ran inside.

The two princesses of Múspell tried their best to get through the door before it closed, but arrived only a minute too late. Veronica just staring at where her opponent had been standing. Something about this realization changed all the rules. If she was so bent on destroying someone who was just like her... what does that communicate about her actions thus far? Xander walked up to her, relaxing upon seeing no harm had come to her aside from the earlier injuries from the fight. "Is... something wrong, milady?" She turned to face him. The one hero he could actually consider a friend. "I don't know... but suddenly this war feels more forced than necessary..." Xander didn't know what prompted these thoughts, but he was secretly glad she had finally slowed down and thought about this.

His relief was short lived however, when he heard a voice from behind. "Pathetic." The two of them looked back to see Surtr lurking over them. For once Veronica actually felt scared. "K-King Surtr... how long were you-?" Surtr interrupted her. "You think this is coincidental? That I would send you and my daughters forward when I could easily come myself? No, runt. I saw the whole thing. This was a test of your strength and dedication. And I am pleased with neither." Xander stood between them, despite knowing he was outmatched and worn out from his previous brawl. "She brings you back from death and this is how you repay her?" Surtr's frown deepened. "I have a strict policy that either you are with me, or you're ashes. She had that infernal tactician right there in front of her, and I could see she was faltering."

Almost as if on cue, Loki appeared as the two men angrily stared each other down. "Now now boys, there's no need to get all bent out of shape. Now that they're in Nifl, it's only a matter of time before history repeats itself. And if that happens, you'll need her for your backup plan." Surtr stood there weighing the options. "Hmm... very well then. You may stay for now, princess. You are still needed. But know this: show any hint of further disloyalty, and you won't get another try." Veronica knew he was deadly serious. Unfortunately she had no choice but to play along. Hopefully Kiran had an ace up her sleeve for dealing with Rinkah's swole older brother here.

**Meanwhile in Nifl...**

Now safe in Nifl, Kiran and her allies followed Fjorm to Gunnthra's hideout. "Aren't you concerned they might break through the wall?" Anna asked. "No. It's reinforced with blue ice. Plus they're in a weak state thanks to the snow." They went through town, which was bustling with citizens. Some of them carrying on as usual, and some openly fearful about Surtr. They made their way out into the woods. Eventually they came across a snow angel in an opening in the trees. But this snow angel seemed to take shape because the ground underneath it was lower than the rest. "Here we are." Fjorm declared as she wiped away the snow to reveal a metal hatch in the shape of a snow angel. "Clever and stylish." Sharena commented as they all went in.

When they entered, they found a crowd of royal guards and Gunnthra herself waiting for them. "I'm so glad you all made it safely." She stated. Kiran was overjoyed to see her. "Gunnthra!" She ran up and hugged her, and Gunnthra happily returned the gesture. Fjorm cracked a smile. "Heh. Become fast friends I presume, sister?" Gunnthra looked up to Fjorm as Kiran let go. "I suppose you could say that." Everyone was intrigued to finally see Gunnthra. "Wow. She's really pretty." Sharena said, in awe. Once everyone was up to speed on introductions, they all followed Gunnthra to the briefing room.

"So Princess Gunnthra, Kiran told us you have a solution to our little problem?" She nodded as they all sat down. "Yes. And thanks to your efforts, we can put it into motion." She opened up a book she had on her person. "If I have it all right, Leiptr, Fjorm's weapon that was once mother's, holds the key to slaying Surtr. But first, it must be awakened. That's why you must first seek out the shrine of frost here in Nifl. Preferably tomorrow. Surtr isn't a patient man, and if he cannot reach us he'll probably try to flush us out by attacking Askr." So there they had it. This was their shot at toppling the undying flame. They all took this chance to rest and prepare for tomorrow. Surtr's invincibility would soon meet its match...

**(Okay, so it appears that came out at around the same time it always does. But I'm glad I finished it before I would inevitably have to put it off till tomorrow. Expect me to be less distracted then.)**


	14. Cold heart

**(As I've developed her, it dawned on me that Fjorm is a more confident and less traumatized version of Kiran. Ain't that a pretty neat coincidence? Maybe that could be useful in the story.)**

The morning sun rose outside, and the order of heroes appreciated the break from fearing for their lives courtesy of Surtr. They all met with Gunnthra in the meeting room. "So I've thought about how we're going to go about today's objectives," She began. "and after much deliberation I think I've got a good strategy. Kiran will stay with me so we can think of a means to infiltrate Surtr's castle. Meanwhile the rest of you will go out to the shrine of frost and awaken Leiptr. Though beware, the shrine only grants such power to those who prove themselves in a test. A test designed by our ancestors. So do exercise caution." Kiran listened along, having already agreed to this plan during breakfast. That said, she still wanted to speak up to her friends. "Just... please return in one piece." She knew it was likely they'd be just fine, but it was worth expressing her concern.

The others smiled. "Don't worry about us. You just focus on giving us a game plan, alright?" Sharena reassured. Kiran nodded, and they wished one another luck. Gunnthra gave them a map of where the shrine was, so it wasn't too much trouble finding it. Though, as was the usual for hidden away places like this, it took a while to go about reaching it. But the carriages Gunnthra let them use did help with all that tedious hiking they'd been doing the last few days. With nothing else to do for now, Fjorm decided to strike up a conversation. Though she entrusted herself to their cause, she knew next to nothing about the order of heroes. Not long before this, legends sprang up of a stranger in a white coat aiding the Askrans in their war against Embla, but she never stuck her nose into the affairs of other kingdoms that didn't pose an immediate threat to them.

So naturally, the first thing to ask about was their mysterious tactician. "I never thought Kiran was more than just a myth until dreams of her started to appear for me and my siblings." The others certainly seemed intrigued. "Oh, did you talk to her like Gunnthra?" Alfonse asked. She shook her head. "No, the power to actually meet a real person in their dream is exclusive to her. That said, all of us have experienced it once or twice, but the finer details are always forgotten upon waking." Anna then brought up an observation of hers. "Speaking of which, I don't know what those two have discussed, but Kiran has been more vocal since. She even seems happier."

"Well, that's good. She's always had a way with words, so it really isn't that surprising." Her expression then dimmed. "What's wrong?" Sharena asked. "My other two siblings are still out there. The longer we stay here, the more time Surtr will have to hunt them down. We can't let that happen." That was very true. Surtr probably wouldn't bang his head against a wall waiting for them forever. All the more reason to end this war swiftly. After a half hour, they had arrived at their destination. They all got out and saw a tall dark blue building in front of them. The wind howled here as harsh cold air blew. Sharena bundled herself up. "Ugh. Boy do I regret forgetting to ask Gunnthra for some winter clothing."

The place had a somber feel to it. Almost creepy. Probably had to do with the fact it looked similar in design to a mausoleum. **(The music "Wilikin Workshop - Main Theme 1" from Skylanders: Trap Team plays.) **Fjorm gazed up at the ancient structure, even she being affected by this sinister feeling in the air. "Contrary to its name, it's said to be warmer inside. Follow me." She directed, now the temporary leader of the group since she knew this land better. They went in, and were confronted with both good and bad news. The good news was that it was indeed warmer in her. The bad news is they traced where some of this dread was coming from. Coffins lined the hallway. This wasn't just a shrine. It was a burial sight for Nifl's bravest...

They cautiously walked further into the dark catacombs of this horrid place. "This goes without saying, but do not disturb the spirits." Fjorm instructed. No one responded, as they were all at a loss for what they saw, but she knew they would heed her warning. They walked into the next room. There they saw inscriptions. It was written in ancient Niflian. Fjorm read aloud. "_Here within this sacred place lies the sleeping souls of this kingdom's proudest. If your purpose here is noble, advance to the next room. If not, leave while you can." _None of them had anything to fear by that, as they knew they were working for the good of humanity, so they followed its instructions.

The next room was large, and devoid of anything interesting save for one thing: at the other end of the room stood a pedestal with a silver ring on it. They closed the door behind them, and Fjorm took this opportunity to talk to the shrine's guardian without bothering the dead. "My name is Fjorm Kov. Second daughter to Queen Petra. I come in seek of aid." She announced to the room. Then the blue flames that lit the torches on the wall went out. In the pitch black darkness, a ghostly blue woman appeared. Her eyes were pupil-less and she wore a circlet. Her hair was long and wavy and her dress was similarly long and flowing. The spirit responded. A spirit that legends say goes by the name Shivers. **"We hear your pleas, daughter of ice. But as is customary, your strength and will must be tested before our help can be bestowed. And understand, if arrogance overcomes you even for a moment, failure will be inescapable. Failure punishable by eternity in the permafrost. Will you still accept?"**

Fjorm knew whatever this would end up being wouldn't be easy, but she had to try her best. "Yes. Anything for the support of my ancestors." Shivers then flew over to the pedestal with the ring. **"Very well. Your task shall be to prevail over this cursed artifact. It is known as the Tear Ring. It was created by the gods, but has since fallen from grace like its forger. Place it on your finger, and it shall create a living manifestation of your darkest thoughts and emotions. Succeed in conquering it, and you shall pass the test." **Sounded simple in theory, but she couldn't let her guard down. Shivers vanished as the torches relit. And then Fjorm approached the ring. She turned to her allies. "I must accomplish this on my own. Only intervene if absolutely necessary." Everyone nodded. "Remember we're here for you, princess." Alfonse reminded her.

As Fjorm picked the ring up, she felt an aura of hate and despair thrashing about within the cursed jewelry. This defiled artifact was the thing between her and Surtr's defeat. Swallowing the last of her hesitation, she put it on. At that instant, she started screaming in pain as the ring started strangling her finger. Black mist leaking from it as it spread over her whole hand and up her arm! "Fjorm!" Anna shouted as some sort of invisible barrier formed blocking them off from her side of the room. Fjorm fell to her knees as the ring's dark powers started eating and tearing into her soul. "Get back! I must do this on my own!" And they could only watch helplessly as the darkness consumed her. The shadow then peeled itself off of her, taking the ring with it. Now standing on its own feet, the mist cleared to reveal a second Fjorm. Her colors faded, her eyes sleep deprived and sunken it, her hair messy, and her body ravaged by burns.

The real Fjorm got back to her feet, looking into her own eyes. "Idiocy." the clone coldly stated. Fjorm grasped her lance tight and pointed it at the counterfeit. "You are to be my challenge. And so I will defeat you." The clone's scowl grew deeper. "Trying your best to live up to mother's legacy? Heh. How blasphemous." She attacked Dark Fjorm, knowing very well anything it spoke would be a jab at her insecurities. Unsurprisingly, it had a duplicate of her weapon, and the same skills and fighting style.

"What you speak is nothing more than a bloated version of my fears." Fjorm spoke, her confidence unflinching. But Dark Fjorm didn't seem so convinced she couldn't be cracked. "She entrusted you that lance as a parting gift. How proud she must be, seeing it swung like a toddler playing with a stick." She struck at it and though it defended itself with it's lance, it was far from on the defensive. It blasted shards of ice at her, the sharp point of the shards not only injuring her, but also breaking her guard as Dark Fjorm punched her square in the nose and knocked her down.

"...But that's not the worst part." Dark Fjorm continued, as Fjorm pulled the shards out of her and froze her wounds to numb the pain. "Gunnthra trusted you to protect the others, the ones you care about most, and you couldn't even do that. You fought against Surtr knowing very well how dangerous he is. Now you have doomed yourself, and everyone you care about to a scorching demise." Fjorm charged at it again, trying a more desperate approach by slicing her at random, and though it won her a good few gashes on her enemy, Dark Fjorm grabbed her lance in one of her swings and thrust her own at her. Luckily Fjorm did the same.

Fjorm deciphered it got strength from her doubt. So the best way to win was to win this argument. "Surtr would have come after us regardless of what we did! I have 'failed' no one! And there is little doubt in my heart we will succeed!" She fished back her lance and thrust it into Dark Fjorm's side. But she didn't seem all that fazed. "Hehehe... you know that last sentence is insincere. Look at you. You couldn't even beat Laevatein, and required Kiran to bail you out. Back at the gate you didn't contribute either, you just opened a big door while your new allies did the heavy lifting." Dark Fjorm had caught her in a very vulnerable area. And as she was hit with a pang of self-doubt, Dark Fjorm was able to pull the lance out of her.

Fjorm had to think of something fast. "Y-yes, but that's why I'm here: to get stronger. So I can be of use-" but Dark Fjorm cut her off. "Hah! And now we come full circle. You can never be as mighty nor as wise as mother, so stop pretending! Gunnthra, your people, everyone. You're giving them all false hope that will cost them everything. Might as well just come clean and toss the pointy rod to big sis while there are still some lives you haven't stomped on." She knocked her to the ground and crushed her head with her foot. Fjorm just couldn't stop this...! How could she conquer her dark side, an enemy that knew her so well!?

"You may be part of her, but you don't get that things aren't so black and white as you say!" Fjorm looked to the side to see Alfonse and the others. "Not living up to your potential, that's a very common fear for royalty. Spending time thinking about what you could have done better is just gonna year you apart." She liked the thought of Alfonse's words, but she just couldn't stop thinking about it, even with such reassurance. Sharena stepped forward. "There's a reason your people love you as much as Gunnthra: your fighting spirit is inspiring. The fact you went in against someone like Surtr despite knowing the odds is proof of that. So don't beat yourself up over the small things."

At that moment, Fjorm felt something. That was absolutely right! She wouldn't have gotten this far if she didn't cling on to hope. And she wasn't going to lose to some unfounded claim like this, even if it came from herself. And within that second, she thrusted Leiptr straight through Dark Fjorm's chest. That same black smoke pouring from her burns, cuts, and bruises. She didn't seem angry at all. In fact, she looked relieved that it was over. "Hehehargh... impressive. But tell me... do you truly think even your friends could help you pull a victory from this...?" Fjorm didn't know. But they had to try. "Time will tell. But I'll do everything I can, and I know they will too." Dark Fjorm faded into nothing with a deranged smile on her face, leaving behind only the ring.

Somewhere in the process of that battle, she had tapped into something. She felt stronger, her lance felt lighter, and her mind felt clearer. They heard Shivers' voice. **"Now you see. The power within Leiptr is not granted. It is learnt. The ability to conquer any foe, even oneself. That is the power you have received." **Her friends joined her and gave her some vulneraries to heal her up. "I find I'm again in your debt. This victory was through your hand." Alfonse and the others disagreed. "That power is your own. It only took our words for you to see it." Fjorm didn't know much about this strange band of warriors, but she now knew she could trust them through and through. And so they returned to Gunnthra's hideout to plan for their next move...

**But at the shrine, not so long after...**

Someone visited the shrine and picked up the Tear Ring. Studying it in their hand. "This brings back memories. How long has it been since we put you on? Here in this place of such sorrow, I feel so... me." They were then interrupted by another person whom had just appeared. "What do you think you're doing here? You've been meddling in the affairs of humans again. I don't have to remind you I'm always watching. Perhaps you'd care to explain yourself?" The first figure put down the ring. "I thought I told you I'm not just gonna sit back and watch while these animals destroy our world." The other figure groaned. "It's not ours to take claim of. I'm only gonna warn you once: fix this mess or I'll see to it you regret it." And the second figure vanished. The first figures muttered to themself. "It's not like you can control me anymore anyway." And they left as well.

**(Hopefully you enjoyed this, even though I didn't think it particularly up to snuff when compared to the other chapters.)**


	15. Mischief

**(Just as an FYI, I'm not gonna include that whole "Fjorm slowly dying as a result of the ritual" thing in this story. I just think it's a detail that was tacked on at the last minute. I mean, you're saying you're gonna kill off a character for no reason just for a second or two of drama? It may be fine for Call of Duty, but not for me.)**

Fjorm was back with her enchanted lance, and her group rejoined Gunnthra and Kiran. The both of them glad they came back without much trouble. With their trump card ready for dealing, it was only a matter of launching their attack on Surtr, and getting close enough to him for the enchantment to work. But there was just one last problem that a spy had relayed back while Fjorm was out... Gunnthra explained. "I was worried as to why I had lost contact with Ylgr, but my fears have been confirmed. She's been captured by Múspell. Reports say she's being held at one of Surtr's many checkpoints being guarded by General Helbindi and some of Veronica's bound heroes."

Kiran then spoke up. "But that raises suspicion right away. It's illogical for Surtr to keep her there instead of at his castle. That, and we inevitably need to break through one of his checkpoints to reach him. It's too convenient. And that can only mean one thing: it's a trap." The group carefully considered what their friends had said. "Well, we can't just leave her there. She's my sister, and Surtr could easily win our surrender by taking her hostage." Fjorm pointed out. Gunnthra frowned. "A situation where we have no choice but to take the hard path... I smell Loki." Anna clenched her fist. "Alright. Then we just break through. Be careful, and we should be fine." Everyone agreed. "Very well then... but know this: Loki is a strange creature. Something about her makes me feel she doesn't abide by the rules of this world. If at any moment she felt inclined to strain herself, nothing would remain in her wake." A morbid warning, but it was appreciated all the same.

They at the very least had a plan. They would break through the checkpoint, rescue Ylgr, distract Surtr's forces with an attack by the Nifl and Askran army, and go in for the kill. So they jumped onto horseback, waved bye to Gunnthra, and set out into the night to end this. They were impressed they got so far into this blisteringly hot land without getting spotted. But at the same time, it was no picnic being sweaty on horseback all the way out here. Whatever Loki had in store, they needed to press on and win...

**Meanwhile at the checkpoint...**

"Why do you always try to look mean?" Ylgr asked. Bored out of her mind in her cell. Helbindi wasn't exactly very fond of talkative prisoners, but he had to put up with it. Surtr wanted her alive for now. "Why do ya have to be so curious, squirt? Last I checked, I told ya I wasn't gonna sit here and ramble like an old woman." Ylgr sat calmly on the floor with her legs crisscrossed. "You're not ignoring me. That atleast means I don't annoy you." In situations like this, Helbindi kinda hoped the Askrans would show up and put him out of his misery.

Then Loki appeared in a puff of purple smoke. "Enjoying babysitting duty, Bindi?" Helbindi just stared at Loki. She frowned, "You're no fun at all, you know that? Well, don't worry. The enemy has been spotted heading our way. Everything's in place, so why not prepare yourself and show the Askrans what the world's most hideous unicorn can do?" Helbindi's scowl deepened as he grabbed his axe, which he had left to head over the fire. "Seriously, why do you have that horn on your head? Hoping you could impale someone on it?" He was still as silent as a rock as he walked outside. Loki folded her arms. "Okay. Great conversation, man. Really appreciate your minimalism." Ylgr actually liked Helbindi since he seemed kind enough to talk with her all this time. But Loki on the other hand seemed to get her jollies from the misery of others. She thought that since the Askrans were approaching that maybe she could be saved, or atleast she hoped...

Outside the checkpoint, Helbindi waited staring off into the barren land he called 'home'. And indeed, off in the distance he saw some strokes of white against the black sky. "About time..." He stated, placing his metal armored hand on his axe to feel its temperature. Heh. Red hot. Just the way he liked it. If this so called 'order of heroes' wasn't as clever as he'd been told, they'd become the next victim of his 1,000 degree axe that he was totally gonna make a thing someday. Loki walked out as well, leaning on the human tank that was Helbindi. "That's a nice axe. Someone must be compensating for something." She joked, as her ally rolled his eyes. The order got of their mounts and approached, doing their best to imagine whatever crazy situation Loki has in store for them.

Alfonse stepped forward. "You two are in our way of protecting the worlds. Less so for you Helbindi, but Loki, your crimes are uncountable at this his point. Even so, if you stand down and give us Ylgr, we will consider lowering your punishments." Loki took out her scepter. "You talk big for someone so unoriginal. Would you like to run by me how many leading heroes of the worlds have blue hair? We could probably swap your body with Marth or Chrom and no one would tell the difference." Helbindi just held his axe tight. Not saying anything.

The order drew their weapons. Fjorm taking her turn to speak. "So where's your trap? It doesn't take a logician to know you're outnumbered." Loki laughed into the wind, much to the annoyance of her foes. "You still haven't guessed? _I'M _the trap." **(The music "Endless Despair" from Blazblue Continuum Shift plays, minus the long buildup.) **She swung her scepter upwards as it thrashed with dark magic. Alfonse then started to panic as he slowly floated off the ground. Loki having somehow deactivated gravity for him. "Man, really wish you had that last cinnamon roll before you left, huh?" Alfonse held onto a branch of a dead tree. "I'm fine! You all go get her!" His allies obliged and charged.

Kiran summoned Ryoma, and so he and Anna did battle with Helbindi. Fire axe versus lightning sword. Meanwhile the two princesses stood their ground against the psychotic jester that was Loki. "I'll tell you this much, witch. I'll never forgive you for the things you've done!" Fjorm shouted as She struck at her with Leiptr. Loki tried to block with her scepter, and while she did defend herself, the blow knocked her back several feet. Loki whistled upon quickly noting the Nifl royalty's new power. "Looks like you've learned some new tricks. Guess I don't have to hold back as much then." She then pulled the piano from Super Mario 64 out of nowhere, somehow able to lift it easily. "Play me off, Johnny!" She then threw it at Fjorm as it fishtailed. Bits of piano and keys flying everywhere as it skidded along.

"What in the-!?" Fjorm narrowly dodged the odd projectile and attempted to shake it off as she and Sharena worked in unison to take her down. Loki was amazingly fast, able to perfectly block their attacks without breaking a sweat. She was on a whole nother playing field from her clone. "Click your ruby heels together, ladies!" They didn't know what that meant, but they ducked for cover anyway. And that proved to be a smart choice as Loki summoned a huge tornado before blasting fire into it to make it a spinning cyclone of fiery death! She sent it towards Kiran and Anna, completely uncaring for if Helbindi got caught in the crossfire.

Helbindi's jaw flung open at the sight. "I don't get payed enough for this job!" He shouted. Ryoma charged up Raijinto and shot a bolt of lightning into the pillar of flames, managing successfully to veer it away from them and harmlessly into the distance. While Anna then turned her attention to Loki as well as she was clearly the bigger threat, this was still a game for the purple-clad trickster. Trying to think of the most creative way she could attack, she then summoned Slippy Toad's arwing from Star Fox, already barreling towards the ground on account of one too many stray laser blasts hitting it and turned into a kamikaze attack. "This is insane!" Sharena shouted as Fjorm called upon her newly awakened power. She formed giant pillars of ice that cut straight through the foreign machine and carved their way up to Loki.

But Loki just slid down the pillar like she was surfing, Anna waiting at the bottom to attack her only for Loki to somersault over her and land perfectly on her feet. She then looked horrified at her hand. "Ugh, look at what you did! You made me chip a nail! Sorry, Bindi, but you're on your own." Just when everyone performed a combined attack on her, she vanished into nothingness. Helbindi then seeing how he was now abandoned by Loki, put his hands on his head in a state of surrender. "I ain't dumb. You all go get whatcha want." The order was definitely in confusion with Loki's bizarre attacks, but upon remembering why they were here, went into the building he was guarding.

They went in and sure enough, they saw Ylgr in her cell. "F-Fjorm!? Loki told me Surtr killed you!" Fjorm slashed at the lock holding her in, breaking it in one go. She and her little sister then engaged in a hug. "Don't worry. You're safe now. Everyone's fine." Ylgr then took the opportunity to look around at their new allies. "Who are these people?" Fjorm stood back up and took her hand. "It's a long story. I'd hate to do this to you, but we can't turn around and go home just yet. Surtr's gonna learn very quickly we're heading his way. I need to ask that you hang tight just a little while." Ylgr nodded. "It's long overdo that punk gets a good butt kicking. Count me in!"

So this was it. No more chores, no more distractions, no more obstacles. They got back on their horses and rode off to Castle Múspell, knowing full well the fiery demon inside its walls was waiting for them.,.

**(You may think Loki's attacks that reference other games would break this story's continuity, but here's the funny thing: it actually doesn't. I've thought of a means of explaining Loki that makes stuff like that make sense. I certainly hope you enjoyed her wacky arsenal. I did.)**


	16. Hold your breath

**(A big thing for me when it comes to writing villains is motivation. I always want that perfect balance where you can see why they took the path they did, but at the same time you still see why they're the bad guy. Don't want a case of King Garon, or the fireflies from The Last of Us, where it's one or the other. Psychology is everything in writing like this.)**

Surtr sat perched on his throne. The wall behind it being actual flowing lava, that fortunately didn't hit the floor or the other walls. It was great for lighting up the room without the use of torches, and enhancing his intimidating vibe. The ritual was complete. Now all he had to do was wait. Laevatein came in and knelt. "Father. It appears there's a large mass of enemy soldiers closing in from the east." Surtr grinned as he rested his head on the back of his hand. "A diversion no doubt. Kiran's no fool. She knows she wouldn't be able to break through our ranks and reach me." Laevatein looked up at him. "What are your orders, then?"

Surtr's eyes lit up with their signature red glow. "Play along. Let them come. It's been too long since I've had a good fight anyway." Laevatein obediently lowered her head and walked off to gather their forces. With the room now empty, Surtr felt a cold air invade the room. He then saw his shadow on the wall grow and change into that of what seemed to be a woman. Splotches of red indicating its eyes. "I'm doing what you want. When shall you hand her over!? You clearly don't seem ready for convincing any time soon." She shadow stared back at him and he paused as if listening to it speak. "Askr? Slay me? Very well. If eliminating them is what it takes, I shall do what is necessary to win her back." The shadow then faded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. He would not die. There was too much at stake. His atrocities were too vast to turn back now...

The order of heroes watched from a hill in the distance. It seemed that Múspell took the bait. Now it was time for them to do their part. "Alright. Anna, you stay and look after Ylgr. Everyone else, prepare yourselves for the fight of your lives." Fjorm instructed. Everyone nodded. It was now or never. Time to bring the fight to the big guy. Wishing one another luck, they sprinted towards the castle. The sound of shouting, swords clashing, and cannons firing audible from the battle happening near them. Dealing with the guards at the front gate was easy, as they were just average joes. Easily defeated by Fjorm's enhanced ice powers. Once inside, they began climbing upwards to Surtr, reminiscent of their espionage mission back in Embla.

As they raced up the stairs, Sharena squeezed in one last moment of sentimentality. "Even with Surtr exposed, if we end up losing, I want everyone to know there's no one I'd rather lose with. Even in a war like this, you can find something that can give you hope." The others appreciated the gesture. Especially Kiran. This army had become a family to her. And she already lost one to hate before, so she wasn't gonna let it happen again. They made their way to a chamber where Laegjarn, Laevatein, Veronica, and Loki awaited.

"So it comes to this." Laegjarn stated. "No more running. No more distractions." Laevatein added. Veronica stepped forward. "You will not succeed this day, warriors of Askr and Nifl. It ends here." Loki yawned. "Can we dispense with the boring smack talk and just get this over with? I'm missing my beauty sleep." The room full of fighters drew their respective weapons. Kiran knew Loki was her biggest target. She started all this, and was the most dangerous of the group. Loki then giggled. "Oh, and just in case you thought we were outnumbered..." she formed a ball of pure black darkness in her hand, and fired it at Kiran. Kiran tried to dodge, but it came at her too fast. Passing straight through her heart!

"Kiran!" Her allies shouted. For a split second Kiran felt like her very soul was being peeled out like an old bandage. But after that split second she fell to her knees. Somehow, she was perfectly fine! No injuries, no weird effects, it didn't hurt her at all. Soon everyone directed their eyes behind her. Kiran turned to see some black smoke forming into something. It hardened into some sort of black slime that twisted and contorted itself until it was in the shape of... her! The blackness faded away revealing a perfect duplicate of her, but the bottom of her robes were singed, her face had black cracks in it that join together at her eyes, making them look like tear marks.

Her eyes were black, but her irises phased between the colors of green, red, blue, and white. Her canines were sharper, and her skin was a sickly pale. Her hair was longer and messier, as if cut by the worst origami maker ever. She stood there, her head leaned over unnaturally as if she lacked the strength to hold it up. Her posture that of a zombie. "That, my friends, is Dark Kiran. But since she's technically my creation, I'll bestow to her the name... of Tether." Tether growled at them with a voice that sounded more like a monster than a human. She then raised her own Breidablik. "Uh oh..." Alfonse whispered.

Kiran stood forward. "I'll handle her. You guys take them." Everyone silently agrees and picked their opponents. Sharena took Laegjarn, Anna took Veronica, Alfonse took Laevatein, and Fjorm faced off against Loki. Kiran watched Tether's movements closely. Tether then spoke one word. **"...Futile..." **it almost didn't sound like English with her voice, but there it was. Tether pulled the trigger and out came Rinea, the fire witch that was once Berkut's most beloved. But there was one key difference: she was a Røkkr! "Oh my...!" Kiran gasped, at a loss for words. She summoned a hero of her own in the form of the saint king, Alm.

Tether watched with her head sunk backwards as Rinea glided forward. Alm readied his bow without question and opened fire, but a Røkkr is nothing to sneeze at, and Rinea easily took the arrow like it was nothing. Meanwhile, Laegjarn and Sharena found themselves face to face her again. "I was sloppy to underestimate you on the roof. That will not happen again." She swiped at Sharena's feet with her own, causing her to trip and fall. Alfonse tried to rush over, but Laevatein made sure he had no openings to aid his sister. When Laegjarn struck her sword down on Sharena, she blocked. But for how long?

Rinea's body filled the entire room with an ominous red glow as Tether watched the flames fly. **"Know... You know... it's futile..." **it spoke, a phrase that would've sent a chill down Kiran's spine if not for the fact she was battling a demonic woman from Hel! Rinea smashes her massive fist into the ground, which Alm dodged, but it left a crater in the floor where her fist was. Luckily they got their chance to retaliate upon realizing her fist was stuck. Alm fired a flurry of arrows with all his might at the freak of nature compelled by the freak of nature, and successfully dazed the giant ever so slightly. Fjorm watched on in horror. It was just like with the Tear Ring! Only this was much stronger! She wanted to raise her voice to help Kiran, but Loki jumped out at her through a series of portals. "Eyes on me, snowflake!" Fjorm stood her ground against the vile mage, looking for her chance to deal a good hit.

Laegjarn swung over and over against Sharena, who was doing her best to keep her grip. But to the surprise of both, Anna cake flying at Laegjarn courtesy of the feedback of one of Veronica's spells, completely body checking her. Sharena took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and kick Laegjarn's sword away. "Not the most comfortable landing..." Anna declared, keeping Laegjarn pinned down with an axe to her neck. Meanwhile Sharena switched targets to Veronica. Laevatein saw her sister had been defeated, and not wanting her to be hurt, she knew she had one option: "I surrender." She said, casually chucking her sword to the ground and getting on her knees. Alfonse was confused by the sudden move, but didn't question it. He threw both the sisters swords out the window to ensure they couldn't keep fighting, and went to aid Fjorm against Loki. But Loki seemed to get an idea.

"Sorry, Veronica. Me and Tether are leaving for a little girls' night out. Hope you understand." Then she and Tether vanished right that instant. But the Røkkr was still there. Veronica groaned into the wind, "I just can't rely on anyone anymore, now can I!?" Anna had finished hog-tying Laegjarn and Laevatein, and joined Alfonse to aid against Rinea. Fjorm and Alm rejoining Kiran. "You guys keep going! We'll handle it here!" Fjorm was very concerned about Tether having got away, but Surtr was at the top of her list of priorities, and so the three of them pressed on without question.

Fjorm kicked down the door to Surtr's throne room. Sure enough, there he was. The madman himself. But what was surprising was someone had reached him before they did. Injured and sweaty on the floor was Hrid. "B-brother!?" Fjorm questioned, glad they weren't a moment sooner. Surtr stood over him. His axe in his hand. "You arrive at last. You've kept me waiting. You've caused me so much trouble. It's only right that your end is by my hand." He gloated. Hrid weakly looked up at Fjorm. "Sister... don't come any closer. You can't beat him..." Fjorm gritted her teeth. "No. He has died once, and he will meet that fate again!" Surtr casually stepped over Hrid and snickered.

"Same confidence as last we met, princess. But can you prove your words?" He looked at her lance to see a light blue glow coming from it. "Hehehe... I see. Still falling back on the same tactics. It's adorable. But understand, I know what that thing is capable of. I will not fall to it again." Fjorm angrily leaped at him, "Want to find out!?" As Fjorm and Surtr brawled it out, Kiran raced over to Hrid, and switched out Alm for Celica to heal his wounds. He got to his feet. "My thanks... but who are you?" Kiran smiled at him. "A friend." With three warriors at their disposal, Fjorm, Hrid, and Celica all fought Surtr at once!

The king fought ferociously, strongly fighting off his opponents, but even he had some trouble taking on all of them at the same time. When Leiptr landed the first scratch on him, everyone saw his body briefly glow white as he yelled, the flames that normally decorated his body now simmering down to nothing. The three bladers danced around him while slowly wearing him down and landing attacks on him. "Hargh! I had forgotten just how much you people aggravate me." It was like nothing Kiran had ever seen before. His armor started cracking and shattering with every hit, damage started showing on his body, the nightmare looked like it was close to ending.

"I will... not fall!" Surtr yelled before all three sword users impaled his chest from three separate angles. He choked and gasped as he tried his best to remove their weapons from him, but it was too late. "Tell yourself that in the afterlife." Fjorm taunted one last time as Surtr breathed his last breath. They all removed their weapons as his body slumped to the ground. Kiran covered her mouth. "Did we... did we do it?" Everyone watched Surtr's body for a few seconds, weapons still ready. No movement. It was over. He was dead.

"Why, I... I can't believe what I'm seeing...!" Hrid said, in awe. Everyone then broke into all-out celebration mode as their allies raced up the stairs to see the same sight. Sharena practically tackled Alfonse in a hug as Fjorm almost broke down in tears of joy, looking down at her lance. "Thank you so much, mother... thank you..." And as everyone expressed their happiness, Kiran dismissed Celica and breathed a sigh of relief. Against all odds, she actually pulled it off. Askr was safe. Nifl was safe. And most importantly, her friends were all alive and well. With their long journey now at an end, everyone turned to leave all this behind them...

"Hehehehe... Hahahaha...!" That's when everyone froze in horror. That laugh rattled in their ears. It was impossible. No way he could survive that! "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Everyone faced the throne despite everything in them telling them not to. They saw Surtr's body start to twitch, and then it broke into body spasms as flames erupted all over it. The flames consumed every part of him, and as they ate his body his wounds started mending themselves! "Someone please tell me this isn't happening!" Alfonse begged. Kiran couldn't even fathom how this was real. She did everything right! Took every precaution! Did everything she could to keep her friends alive! She felt downright disbelief at this! She had failed... she had failed her friends, her allies, she... she suddenly... suddenly felt very dizzy...

Kiran collapsed as Surtr's eyes opened back up and he stood on his feet once more. It was like they had never even hit him! Even his armor was mended! "Kiran!" Sharena shrieked, rushing to her friend's aid. She found that Kiran had a fever, and a high one at that. Surtr laughed at everyone's shocked expressions. "You never seem to learn. All of you. I am invincible. Try as you might, my flame will not die! I WILL NEVER DIE!" He picked his axe back up as the reality of the situation finally sank in. Sharena picked up Kiran. "We can't fight like this, we have to go!" Fjorm felt a surge of every emotion she could ever imagine feeling flooding into her at once, but she knew she couldn't let herself die. Or her friends for that matter. Not here! Not now!

She ran with the others back down the stairs. Fortunately for them Kiran already had an escape plan before they went in. A number of knights on horseback waiting in secret for them outside. If they could just get there in time, they'll be safe. But they obviously weren't counting on Surtr still being alive. As they raced out of the castle they were confronted by one last obstacle: Veronica. She pointed her hand at them, her spellbook glowing. "You're not going anywhere! If I show even a little mercy, he'll have me sacrificed! It's me or you!" Everyone was already fleeing from Surtr. Exhausted both physically and emotionally. Fjorm didn't raise her lance at her. No one even tried to fight her. They just looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Please... you're better than this, Veronica..." Anna solemnly begged. Veronica felt a wave of regret hitting her at full force. All she wanted was to beat Kiran, not _this! _"S-shut up! Don't make this any harder than it has to be!" Everything in her heart told her this was wrong, but what else could she do...? Deep down, she knew all this only started because she was confused and scared about actually befriending Kiran. "Veronica..." Sharena whispered. Veronica being forced to look at an unconscious Kiran in what seemed like forever ago. She thought long and hard, but she knew if she was gonna do something she needed to do it now. Ugh, why must these emotions be so vexing!? She stomped her foot. "Go... just go! Get out of here, now!" They didn't have time to thank her, but this act would not go unregistered with them.

Veronica understood the magnitude of what she was doing, but she caused this, and she felt she needed to take responsibility for it. Surtr approached her, having been not far behind. "Where did they go?" He asked Veronica, whom had never been more terrified in her life. But despite her fear, she shakily blocked his path. She swallowed her regrets and faked her usual vacant expression. "I've decided you're... that your services are no longer want-" but he then grabbed her by the face and lifted her up as she struggled to get out of his grip. He gritted his teeth. "You know, I thought I liked your attitude at first. But now? This is the straw that broke the camel's back. My patience with you is at an end! So remember this choice, princess of Embla. I will give you a humiliating end befitting if your kind."

Fjorm and the others found their getaway and hopped on their horses. "You there, Tell the army to retreat immediately! We cannot win here." She ordered one of the knights, and he obliged. They rode off into the night with Surtr's laugh echoing in their ears. They were broken, they were beaten, but they were alive. But as they made their way to safety, Fjorm couldn't help but feel hopeless about what they could do now...

**(Yeesh, that was quite a chapter. Even I started feeling every beat as I wrote it. The way I write this reminds me of Thanos in Infinity War. And thankfully, now we can move on to the Endgame half of the Surtr Saga here. Mark my words, summoners! It's not over yet!)**


	17. Gunnthra

**(I keep forgetting to mention this, but I'm an FE player who came on the scene with awakening, so that's why the heroes I have Kiran summon are rarely ever anything before that era. Call me a filthy casual if you want, but that's just the way it happened, you know?)**

The crew made it safely back to Nifl without incident. But safety seemed like such a small comfort in comparison to everything that had previously transpired. Everyone was healed, and getting a chance to catch their breath was well appreciated, but they did everything they could and _still _failed. Gunnthra laid Kiran to rest, putting a cold rag on her forehead. "How is she, sister?" Ylgr asked. Gunnthra was glad she atleast had some happy news. Secretly hiding that she was just as shook up as everyone else. "It looks like a simple case of exhaustion. Kiran doesn't appear to have been getting enough sleep. All that stress probably overloaded her." She was thinking of talking to her in her dreams, but Kiran probably wanted some alone time right now. Understandably, her job is a very taxing one.

Fjorm sat down and buried her face in her hands. "I just don't see where I went wrong. Everything was in our favor, I couldn't have overlooked anything..." Hrid then spoke up. "Unfortunately, I think I know what happened. You did nothing wrong, Fjorm. Surtr started another ritual that he'd be resurrected should he be slain." Fjorm just wanted to throw something. "Oh, so now there truly is no way of beating him, is that it!?" Hrid shook his head. "No, you see he-" but she cut him off by standing up and heading for the door. "Actually, no. I'm not in the mood for it right now. I need some fresh air." Sharena held her hand out, "Fjorm, where are you going?" But she had stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Ylgr furrowed her brow. "Don't take it personally... after what happened, this is a perfectly normal response. We were so close, but just that bit too distant." Gunnthra's face reflected concern as well. "She'll be fine if we wait. Besides, it's not like we'd be at our best right now anyway." She said, eyeing Kiran. There was a long pause before Alfonse broke the silence. "So just to know for later, you were saying there's a way to beat Surtr?" He nodded. "Yes. I remember overhearing it from Loki while in my cell at the castle. See, the ritual requires that Surtr make a sacrifice to Hel, the goddess of death. He must routinely sacrifice two people to the flames to maintain his blessing. The stronger the people sacrificed, the longer the effects. So if we caught him before the next sacrifice, we could kill him for good." So they had a chance. A small window to take it, but a chance all the same. "Veronica would probably be one of them, considering she helped us before. If that's the case, we may only have a few days to save her." Sharena deciphered.

Gunnthra stood up. "Even if you could embark now, Fjorm needs time to recover from this defeat. Why not you all just sleep on it, and we'll see what we can do tomorrow?" Alas, that seemed to be the only option available. So everyone did just that. That whole ordeal had exhausted them down to nothing, both physically and emotionally. Meanwhile, Gunnthra stayed awake. Not just because she wasn't tired, but because she wanted to use her powers to ensure Kiran didn't have any nightmares. Soon enough, everyone was asleep dreaming their sorrows away. After an hour or two, Gunnthra decided to hit the hay as well. But unbeknownst to all of them, one person was awake, and snuck out of the hideout and out to the gate. Knocking out the guards stationed there and leaving the gate open before returning to avoid suspicion...

**The next day...**

Kiran awoke to the smell of something burning... without even being given a chance to rub her eyes, she saw smoke flowing in from the other room. Still half-asleep, Kiran rushed to her feet and ran in to see the entire base was filled with Múspell's forces! Mages and manaketes everywhere setting everything on fire! One of them happened to notice her stumble in confusedly, and blasted Bolganone at her. "Duck!" Sharena had tackled her to the ground before it could hit her, the wall shaking and rubble falling as the structure started to lose its stability. "Sharena!? Wha-what is...!? What's happenin-!?" She saw the others valiantly fighting off the swarm of enemies as they covered the escape of the soldiers here.

"You passed out. Can't explain now, we need you Kiran!" Fjorm was fighting the hardest. Her attacks were brutal and merciless, a clear byproduct of her still lingering anger. "Múspell has meddled in our lives for the last time! THE LAST!" Kiran had never seen her in a state of such bloodlust before. Whatever was happening, she needed to lend her hand quickly. She summoned Azura in the hopes her water powers could help keep the fires contained for now. The smoke was making it harder and harder to breath. Everyone seemed to be accounted for, except... "Where's Gunnthra!?" Kiran asked, quickly reaching the state of panic everyone else was in.

But no one dared to answer. Ylgr put her snow powers to good use, having lost her spellbook back in the woods in the days prior thanks to Loki, while Hrid did his best to fight the hordes with his sister. Fjorm struck her lance straight through 3 fighters in front of her before launching them off at their remaining allies. Fjorm was at her breaking point. She just couldn't contain hers anymore. The fear on the faces of her opponents didn't deter her from taking them out one by one. Everyone else noticed they had even stopped attacking the hideout itself, and more-so attacking Fjorm to protect themselves, but there was no hope for appeasement. Azura did her best to quell the flames, but as soon as one went out, two more would take its place!

Kiran knew they couldn't stay here. "This place is a lost cause, we have to get out of here!" She shouted over the roaring of the flames, but Fjorm wasn't running. Not this time! Despite her body decorated in burns, they only served to motivate her further. At this point some of her foes tried to flee while others begged for mercy, and the others just made peace with their fate. "Sister, we cannot-" Hrid tried to reach her, and tugged her by the shoulder, but Fjorm roared and slapped him across the face. But with that action, even though she knew it wouldn't hurt him that much, she snapped out of her rage. She looked at the soldiers of Múspell she had just been attacking. The absolute terror and hopelessness in their eyes. She also looked at the many she had already slain, and how disgusted she was she could be capable of such violence...

What she was doing was no different than Surtr... attacking anything and everything out of emotional compulsion. She didn't answer her sibling so much as she joined the others to run. They all made it out of the hideout and saw the kingdom in the distance, flames and smoke all over it. No doubt an evacuation plan is already underway, but there were many who wouldn't have the chance to get out in time. This was war. War in its purest form. No one won from it. No one was really 'better off' from it. It was destruction. It was hatred. And standing there waiting for all of them was Surtr, Gunnthra on her knees in the blackened snow. Even in a moment like this, she didn't seem so much concerned for herself as she was her family and the Askrans.

Even Surtr looked as if he regretted what was taking place. For the first time, they saw guilt in his eyes. He looked as if he was thinking hard for an explanation to justify what he was doing. Kiran was practically paralyzed at the sight of Gunnthra while Fjorm's heart beat a mile a minute trying to think of a way to save her. Surtr bit his lip. "At this point... would she even want me anymore, knowing I let this happen for her...? My precious Djin... how I have let you down. You could call me a monster. A demon. Inhumane. And would it ever be enough to accurately portray my crimes...?" Gunnthra weakly turned her head to him. "You can stop this... just rally your army and leave! You still have a chance to make some amends!" He looked away. Fjorm slowly approached him, trying her best to reason with him.

"You don't have to do this. It has been your choice. It always has. What you do with your life is... it's what you choose to use it for." He laughed a sad laugh. "It's too late, princess of frost... Now I have willingly destroyed the last thing that still mattered to me in this world. I should have listened to her when I had the chance. She told me this would happen, but I was too overtaken by my own emotions to listen. I thought she didn't understand. Turns out it was I who knew nothing. Hel, you have played me for a fool." Everyone paused as Surtr shakily raised his axe and cringed as he looked away. "I can't turn back now... I can't...!" Kiran looked away as well and covered her ears as tears flooded down her face. The sound of the swing only lasted for a second, and Gunnthra's end wasn't dragged out or needlessly cruel, but that day was the day Surtr wasn't human anymore. Now, he was just Hel's unfeeling puppet.

Fjorm collapsed and thanked herself she saw as little of the sight as possible. This felt unreal. Surtr's voice solemnly rose. "I will order a retreat... little princess. I wish you had just surrendered on that first day... but it's too late now. It's just too late." And so he marched off, leaving the team broken, but alive. Arguably even worse than his usual strategy. Kiran still wasn't recovered yet, and this only made matters worse. Soldiers of Nifl extinguished the flames across town and healers helped the families that had been caught in the calamity. Gunnthra's funeral was an event that needed no words to be set up, nor attended. For no words could do this tragedy justice. Friends. Family. Citizens. Even defecting soldiers of Múspell who risked their lives to minimize the damage of this. But no one took it nearly as hard as Kiran and Fjorm.

The order then went to the castle to recover from it all. It looked just as beautiful as Sharena imagined it, but that didn't even cross her mind right now. Everyone sat around a table. Not knowing what to say, or even if they _wanted _to say anything. Alfonse was the strongest in this situation, and as a result was the first to mutter a word after what seemed like forever. "I wish it hadn't come to this. Everyone does... she will never be forgotten. By Nifl, or Askr. Maybe even Múspell. But we need to get past this somehow. Surtr is still out there." Fjorm looked at him lividly. "You think we don't know that!?" Silence filled the room once more. Kiran felt Gunnthra's last wish eating away at her. To tell everyone about her past. But she couldn't say anything at a time like this, could she...?

Ylgr wiped her tears. "I'll never f-forgive him... but we need to-to stop him from hurting anyone else." Fjorm tightened her hand into a fist. Though she talked like she was angry at everyone else, they all knew she was truly enraged at herself for being so helpless. For not doing something differently to save her... "I don't even have the will to get up from this seat anymore! My whole life is falling to pieces around me, and I don't see how we can pull a positive out of this!" Kiran then swallowed hard. If she couldn't say what she wanted to, she'd atleast try to pacify Fjorm.

"Your people still love you... Gunnthra wouldn't want you to blame yourself for this. She told me that fixating over what you could've done will just destroy you. So please, this isn't your-" Fjorm spat her anger at her, not knowing what else she could do. "Shut up, Kiran! You may have been friends with her, but you know _nothing_ about how this feels!" Sharena tried to calm her down, "Fjorm-" but she just continued. "I'm no queen like mother. Not as wise, nor as strong! Gunnthra was all that and more. That's why she was meant for that position. How am I supposed to protect my people if I can't even protect my own family!?" That's when everyone started noticing her eyes looked crazed and sunken in. The colors in her skin, and even her outfit slowly fading to nothing. Somewhere in there, Dark Fjorm was still alive. And she was doing the talking right now. And that's the sad truth: you can fight it much easier when it's on the outside.

Kiran had to do something, or she would lose herself to this. "You don't have to be alone, Fjorm. You have friends. Family. All of us are here for you." Fjorm's face twisted into a smile one note off of full blown insanity. "And what makes you, _Kiran, _think you can help me? You don't understand this at all. All the heroes you summon come back to life if killed. How wonderful that must be, huh? How could you possibly comprehend any of this!?" Kiran knew she couldn't hold back anymore. "Because I have a broken family too!"

That made everyone at the table stop what they were doing and look at her. Fjorm calmed down slightly out of shock at what she just said. "... What...?" Was all she could muster to say. Kiran sighed. There was no hiding it now. No more schemes. No more lies. Anna spoke the minds of everyone in the room. "Kiran, you're not making that up... are you?" Kiran braced herself for whatever her friends would think when she tells them all this. She took a deep breath... and explained.

"My parents got divorced when I was a child... back then everything was all kittens and rainbows, but when that happened I was awakened to reality much sooner than any kid should..." Fjorm's anger dissipated as her normal appearance started returning. Kiran continued. "I felt that everything around me was falling apart. I didn't go to school, I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to play... I didn't even leave my bed most of the day. Mom bought me toys, hired a psychiatrist, even postponed the divorce in an attempt to cheer me up, but nothing worked." She felt herself start to shake, she had never felt so willingly vulnerable before. "But one day I just moved on... I never really 'got over it' so much as I just tolerated it. My parents were relieved I was getting better, but the scar still remained. I vowed to myself I wouldn't speak to harm anyone ever again... and soon enough, I stopped speaking altogether."

Fjorm had now fully calmed down, Kiran's story coming as a huge surprise to her and everyone else. It made so much sense, but to think the big-hearted summoner that Anna had brought here had such a cruel and heartbreaking origin... "When I came here, I had no intention of befriending anyone. Having friends meant you'd have to part ways one way or another. And saying goodbye really hurts. But you all trusted and cared about me so finely that I soon found I couldn't just block you out anymore... it felt like a chain, but at the same time a chain I wanted deep down to be bound with..." She held her head down in shame. "Judge me freely. But I'm glad I was able to help people, even if a relatively small amount."

Anna frowned. "Don't say that, Kiran. Of course you've helped. It doesn't matter where you came from, or what your reason for aiding us is. You're a nice person, everyone knows that." Kiran knew that if she had any tears left from earlier, they'd be falling. As it was, her eyes stung. Alfonse then raised his opinion. "The fear of losing is always painful. I know that myself. But if you don't give people a chance, you're only ensuring things never get better." Kiran sniffled as she looked up at her friends. Touched that they still loved her unconditionally. Sharena added onto what her brother was saying. "It may have taken a long time for you to open up, but now that we know something's wrong, we can help you. All we ask is that you give us your trust for just a bit longer." Kiran took a minute to catch her breath and calm down, and afterwards she nodded. As she was talking she felt terrible, but now she felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her.

Fjorm walked over to Kiran, regret on her face. "I had no idea... I'm so sorry I yelled at you, Kiran. Clearly wallowing in despair isn't going to help fix anything. I need some time, but you're living proof I can get through this. The battle isn't over. Can I ask of you to continue being our tactician?" Kiran smiled. Taking off her hood, as she felt she finally didn't need it anymore. "This army is my family, and I don't abandon my family..." Despite the horrors that had unfolded today, it was not the end. The smoke damage on some of the houses was not something that was broken, but something that was yet to be fixed. The voice of the dreams was now locked in slumber eternal. But the dreamer who heard her voice won't let that dream die. As they all left to help the people rebuild, a realization hit Sharena. "Wait. That ghost from the castle was _KIRAN!?"_

**(A real feel good chapter, huh? Well, I think it touches on a variety of things. But the main moral of this particular chapter is that humanity isn't just one or the other. It can be capable of good, not just evil. So hopefully you all liked this one. The dream is not dead.)**


	18. Napalm blood

**("Don't think I don't see you down there, Loki. You're a mistake I never should've allowed to happen." _"Oh. Gloomy as ever I see. Could you bare to lighten up for once? Any time you enter the room it's like all the fun just got sucked out." _"Like it or not, it's our place to observe. Not interfere. Cease this nonsense." _"Weren't you paying attention, sister? You lost your chance to destroy me a long time ago. But no, just stay up there moping. I'll be down here getting things done.")_**

With Kiran getting some much needed rest, and Fjorm recovering from the loss of her sister, it was time to stop mourning and start doing. It was problematic that one of them would need to take up the mantle of ruler in Nifl, but the people were very expressive in their desire for it to be Fjorm. And for good reason, even in a time like this she was able to hold herself together. Maybe requiring the help of her friends to find her way back, but who would blame her for that? So Fjorm was unofficially nominated queen. Mostly because they didn't have time for a proper ceremony. They would need all the help they could get against Surtr, so Fjorm needed to bring all her siblings with her on this trip. She ordered her soldiers to maintain order while she was gone, and with that, her subjects wished her luck and they all set out one last time.

Of course, now that they were back on the move, they all took notice of one particular issue: the gates could only have been opened by the inside. And considering Kiran and the others were the only ones let in that particular day, that meant something no one wanted to consider. A traitor was somewhere in their ranks. No one brought it up as they marched, but they all knew it was the only explanation. Kiran, being the smart and logical woman she was, deduced that if everyone was truly who they claimed to be, what happened to Nifl wouldn't have happened. And as everyone knew, there was only one fighter in Múspell with a habit for shape shifting and trickery. When they all settled down for camp, they needed to decipher who was Loki. After all, they were only a day away from catching up with Surtr, and if they unknowingly relied on Loki for an important fight, that would spell disaster.

So the logical way of finding out who was the fake was to work backwards and consider who they knew were real. Kiran and Fjorm knew each other were the genuine article, because not even Loki could replicate the display that took place yesterday. So that was good. Now came the tricky part. Kiran didn't want to doubt her friends, and Fjorm didn't want to doubt her family. But if they were gonna win, they'd need to be sure they could trust everyone. So Fjorm and Kiran sat next to one another at the fire pit. The others gathered around in a circle. They couldn't stall on this. The doomsday clock was still ticking. Not just for them to finish Surtr, but for Veronica's life.

Kiran was the first to start talking. "Unfortunately, one of us here is not the person they would have us believe. We'd like to ask you all some questions to prove who is real, okay?" Everyone nodded. Ylgr a bit slower than the others, but that could probably be held to how she was frequently daydreaming, and it took her a while to come back to reality. Kiran asked the first question. "Alfonse, do you remember what you were doing on our beach day?" Alfonse gave no response, but his discomfort with that particular memory showed he was definitely real.

Now it was Fjorm's turn. "Ylgr, can you remember the name of your spellbook?" Ylgr paused, and then shrugged. Fjorm then recalled Ylgr never bothered memorizing what it was called. Kiran took her turn again. "Sharena, what was the first hero you befriended?" Sharena then went into an all out rant. "Well, you could say it was Virion, since it was your first ally other than us, but the first one you summoned was Tiki, so there's that too. Oh, and though he was like 5th or something, Marth was pretty coo-" "Yup. It's her." Kiran declared, as her friend rambled on. Fjorm was about to ask her next question, when she got an idea. "A question for both of you: do you remember what the Tear Ring did to me?" Ylgr seemed lost while Hrid confidently answered. "It made a dark clone of you, why would you ask-" but he realized what he said too late as everyone pointed their weapons at him.

Ylgr then ran from him as he nervously looked at his allies. "Hrid wasn't there at the shrine, idiot." Hrid sat there and paused. Then he belted out an awfully feminine cackle as he transformed into who he really was: Loki. She slowly applauded. "Well, aren't you a regular Dick Tracy. You deserve a prize... here! Have a head that's always screaming!" She then clapped her hands together as exactly that appeared in the fire pit, before slowly burning to death in the flame. Alfonse and the others edged closer to her as she casually sat on the ground. "Your screams- ahem... schemes have amounted to nothing, Loki. What do you have to say for yourself?" Loki stood up and stretched. "Keep your britches on, cream puff. I know when I'm beaten. Tell ya what, I'll just give you a little 'anonymous tip' to help you perhaps? Wink wink?"

No one saw the funny side. "And why, pray tell, would we trust you?" Anna accused. Loki twirled and tossed her scepter like a baton. "Look sweetheart, I have no master. I serve one thing and one thing only: chaos. After all, where's the fun if everything stayed the same? It was a wild ride at first, but Surtr has become boring. The thing I wanna see change right now is his winning streak. So tell you what: the big guy entrusted me to lead most of the army while he's off readying the ritual, so why not I send them off while you rush him?" Fjorm was done listening to this woman's voice, and so rushed forward and rammed her lance through her heart. But everyone was left awestruck at what happened next.

"Umm... ow? That's gonna need some stitching. Perhaps I'm not being clear enough. You don't have a choice in the matter. You want Surtr dead, and you can't sit around stalling. Because the two Surtr's gonna axe for his resurrection is Hrid, and a certain someone your hooded friend may know." She then shapeshifted into Veronica wearing a Princess Leia outfit. "Help me, Kiran. You're my only hope." She taunted in Veronica's voice. But how was she still alive!? Leiptr was still sticking out of her, but it didn't seem to hurt her at all! Fjorm came to the conclusion that was on the tip of her tongue. "You're... you're not human!" Loki smirked and turned back to her true form.

"Course I'm not, snowflake. But do be patient. I'm leaving that secret for another time. Oh, and just to make your decision easier..." she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a cucco and chucked it at Fjorm, Who easily backhanded it away as she retrieved her axe from Loki's chest and saw her wound instantly heal. But before she could argue any further, she turned her attention to the cucco. "What is that, a... chicken?" Then it started screaming as they heard wings flapping all around them. Loki snickered. "Look lively out there, kiddies! Don't want them writing '_death by chicken' _on your tombstone." She then vanished as they all started running.

**Meanwhile at Castle Múspell...**

Surtr was getting impatient. He knew he had to wait until the effects of his previous ritual to wear off before he could start a new one. And he knew that at any time those Askrans were gonna be angry and heading for his doorstep. As if that wasn't enough, Loki appears to have went off the grid. So needless to say, he was in a particularly bad mood when Helbindi came in. He was silent. He had quite the audacity showing his face here at a time like this. "What do you want, worm?" Surtr demanded warningly. "I know what you did in Nifl. That was not the act of a righteous and honorable leader like yer girls try to convince themselves. It opened my eyes to all this. If you get what you want, it won't stop at Nifl, will it?"

Surtr growled at him as he turned to face him. "Is that a threat I'm hearing from you, general?" Helbindi took out his axe. "This'll repeat over and over until you feel better about that wench of a wife of yers kickin' the bucket, which will be never. I would never be able to face my sister again if I let you do that." Surtr immediately jumped to full blown fury at the accusation. "You DARE insult my Djin!? I'll cut that tongue from your throat, and even that is too great an honor! I'll let your sister know what I'll do to her was a result of your actions!" And with that, the two fought like two hardened men of the battlefield knew how. Helbindi knew he didn't stand a chance, but he had freed that prince of Nifl. He just needed to stall long enough to seal Surtr's fate...

**Outside the castle...**

The order of heroes had arrived at their destination, somehow outrunning the endless flocks of angry chickens. Sharena still had some stray feathers on her. Now that they were here, they needed a plan. If Surtr saw them coming, there's no doubt he'd immediately rush to the final stages of the ritual to ensure he lived, so someone needed to rescue Hrid and Veronica. Amazingly, the castle grounds was pretty empty just like Loki promised. "Alright. Sharena, Alfonse, you're with me. We'll storm in through the front and find Surtr. Kiran, you summon a flying hero and wait for Anna's signal. Anna, you and Ylgr go in and take out their air defenses so Kiran can fly in and search for Surtr's prisoners without resistance." Fjorm instructed.

Kiran immediately went pale at the mention of flying. "No way, nuh-uh, I'm not..." everyone looked at her with pleading eyes. Kiran had developed vertigo from their last flight, but she needed to bite the bullet for the team. "...Okay, fine. It's just... I'm afraid of falling." Sharena offered her encouragement as everyone came to grips with their orders. And not soon after, they all went to work, Fjorm and the Askran siblings going in as the lightning crashed above. It was finally time to end this... **(The music "Mount Vesuvius" from Ducktales Remastered plays)**


	19. Ashes to ashes

**(Now that I think about it, this story of mine is kinda like Kingdom Hearts in the handling of the bad guys. Veronica would be Ansem, in that she got very little screen time as the big bad, and by that logic Surtr would be Xemnas. But there are plenty of differences too, as I doubt Xehanort was still physically lingering in the background.)**

Fjorm and the others stormed the castle, praying to whatever deity was listening that they wouldn't be too late. The storm clouds outside crackled and boiled as they went in once more. Luckily for them, they knew where Surtr's throne room was from the start, but they also knew he'd be putting his strongest fighters between them and him. Kiran summoned Aversa outside and waited for the signal as Anna and Ylgr got to work. Ylgr may not have had her spellbook, but she still had her ice powers. And while Anna was busting heads to protect her, she was freezing the gears in the catapults to the point where they shattered, making them useless. Helbindi engaged in his death match with Surtr while Hrid tried to find his way out of this maze-like castle.

It wasn't long before Fjorm's trio ran into opposition. Laegjarn. Amazingly, she was all by herself. But then again, it wasn't exactly like any foot soldiers would put up much of a fight. Plus since they turned on Veronica, her heroes were now out of the question. "You've arrived. I commend you for having such an unbreakable spirit. I know you're in a rush, so I'll try to keep idle chit-chat to a minimum." Fjorm stepped forward. "Talk as much as you wish. In fact, I've had a question for someone like you. We may talk as we fight. One on one again, I presume?" Laegjarn chuckled. "I'm actually unsure of if that'd be a fair fight for you. But I'll take your offer." Sharena raised her lance. "She's mine. I feel like I owe you a debt from letting us go back in Embla."

As Sharena and Laegjarn circled one another, she started chanting. **"Tnarg em htgnerts. Siht I wov. Naf ym semalf. Od os won." **Suddenly fire engulfed her body like some kind of angry constrictor. Her body, her skin, armor, and even eyes, all of them glistened with demonic blue flames. "The battle has begun. Have at me!" Sharena was taken aback by the transformation, but she wanted to give Laegjarn an honorable last stand, and she was gonna do just that. The two bolted towards each other as that first clang of metal against blue-flamed metal broke out through the room.

Outside on the wall, Anna and Ylgr set about in destroying Múspell's defenses so that Kiran could get through. Unbeknownst to all of them, two people were watching from on high. The first being a creature of pure chaos. The other, a being of pure order. And they both had ideas for the merry little band Kiran had. Back with Fjorm, Sharena darted across the room as Laegjarn whittled her down with her faster and stronger attacks. Laegjarn knew the longer she stayed like this, the less time she'd have, so she started talking. "As you may know, our mother's name was Djin. She was a radiant woman who was once father's sparring partner back as a prince." Sharena kicked off the wall as she narrowly dodged a giant ball of blue fire originating from Laegjarn.

"The battlefield is very good at tearing bonds asunder, but with father and mother, they just grew closer. When the time came that their relationship was at its strongest, father was too nervous to propose upright. And mother actually had to guide him to the right words. But after all was said and done, they were happy together for years to come." Sharena dived down at her and shove her lance through her foot. But this transformation seemed to block out all pain. Laegjarn struck her sword into the ground as fissures of blue lava erupted across the room. Somehow not spreading any further than their point of origin.

Laegjarn then charged at Sharena through these new walls of blue death as she struck at her again and again. "But one day mother fell ill. It was an endemic disease called 'dragon's fever'. Mother assured us she was fine, me and my sister were 16 and 13 respectively, but father knew she would die if not treated soon. Unfortunately, the only known cure was a rare herb that grows exclusively in the land of Plegia." Alfonse swallowed hard. Suddenly everything made such sense. Laegjarn drew the lava back into her blade and then shot it out at Sharena like a laser. Sharena sucked just in time for it to go above her and melt cleanly through the wall behind her.

Laegjarn sighed upon coming to this memory. "For one reason or another, King Gustav refused him passage to Plegia. Eventually he hired an inside man to fulfill his task for him, but by the time he returned from his trip, it was too late. Mother had died. And father was so bent on trying to save her that he wasn't able to be there for one last goodbye." The two of them stopped fighting to put more time towards the story. "As you can imagine, it tore him apart. He sank into a deep depression that quickly fell across the entire kingdom... it was actually much like the sadness in the air when Queen Gunnthra perished. Without Djin, life was meaningless to father. He said as much in that time. But that's when things got bad..."

There was a long pause. "Though it wasn't explicit, I think that he longed for death to be reunited with her. But he knew none could do that for him, given he had been invincible as a result of the ritual Your mother would end up nullifying. And that was the point. He knew Queen Petra didn't have the heart to kill an innocent man, so he did everything possible to earn her execution. And it worked. But at the cost of Múspell's ruler. The people fell into despair, and me and Laevatein had to rule without guidance. Until one day, Loki came to ya and told us we could bring him back. Oblivious to his wishes, we did so in the hopes he could find it in himself to lead us again, but... he had changed."

Laegjarn's blue flames started to dim as she finished her tale. "He was bitter. Angry at the world and the people in it. Mentioning how Hel ripped his beloved from him unless he followed her orders." Sharena hesitated to ask, but she did anyway. "What orders...?" Laegjarn paused again. "It's hard to tell, but most likely... the destruction of Askr." Everyone grimaced at the fear-inducing suggestion, but Laegjarn's flames fully faded as she dropped her blade and collapsed. Sharena and the others rushed over to her. "Hey, what's wrong!?" Fjorm asked. Laegjarn weakly laughed. "Part of me desperately wanted our father to come back to us... before he became _this... _but it appears I let my stubborn pride get the better of me. That power I just used...? It drains my life force..."

Sharena was actually kinda sad to see her go. She turned her head to Alfonse. "I sense my dear sister is going to do the same... don't let her lose herself to the flames... and stop father, what he has become..." Alfonse wanted to ask one last thing. "Aren't you afraid of what's happening to you...?" She smirked. "Me...? Heh... I think I've found a new dream. Gunnthra's, perhaps...? Of Múspell and Nifl working together again... It's a beautiful... dream..." and then her skin went cold and her body went limp. Sharena shut the now deceased princess's eyes as they all stood. Maybe they could make that dream a reality once this was over.

Meanwhile in the dungeon, Veronica and Xander sat in their cell doing nothing. Xander was running out of things to say. And Veronica wasn't responding to any of it. She just buried her face in her knees and kept to herself the whole time she was here. "Come on, milady... please tell me what's troubling you." But alas, no response. He swore if he knew any better, he'd think he was talking to Kir-... wait a minute. But before he could finish that thought, they heard some footsteps. They thought it might just be the guards, but when a certain Plegian dark mage, and a familiar hooded frenemy stepped out from the shadows, they realized what was going on.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there." Aversa used her time to blast the lock into smithereens, but while Xander looked relieved, Veronica just looked guilt ridden. "Kiran... why are you helping us? I did let you escape last we met, but... surely that can't repay all the trouble I've caused." Kiran walked in and knelt next to her. "Because it's the right thing to do. You're not a bad person at heart. And you stop yourself before you go too far unlike Surtr. Isn't that enough of a reason?" Veronica just continued to sulk. "Don't... stop looking at me with those eyes of yours! Helbindi already freed that prince if you're wondering. But he left us here. Said we didn't deserve to be saved after what we did. I wouldn't hold it against you if you hated me..."

Kiran took her hand. "I believe there's already too much hate in the world as it is. You did make some mistakes, but they're going to stay mistakes if you don't try. It's not too late..." Veronica wiped away a tear as she looked at Xander, and then Kiran. And then, her frown faded into a smile. "Heh. How do you keep doing this to me...? Very well. Xander, we're leaving this dump. Leave Surtr to the Askrans." Xander was glad she finally came back to her senses. "Yes, milady." As they parted ways, Veronica looked back at Kiran. "And... thank you." Kiran nodded, and waved them goodbye. Now that Surtr's resurrection had been cut off, it was time to bring an end to him.

Fjorm and co fought their way up until they found Laevatein. Who looked enraged to say the least. "What did you do!? I sensed Laegjarn's flame go cold! What did you do to my sister, you _ANIMALS!?_" Steam practically seemed to rise from her ears. But fortunately for them, they had Laegjarn's emblem with them. The one every important figure in Múspell wore. It had a little known secret that it was enchanted to be able to show someone the last few moments of that person's life. This was usually a means of gaining valuable information about the enemy, but here it was useful for dispelling this misunderstanding. They tossed her the emblem and she immediately saw what had happened. Seeing what her sister wanted, she dropped her sword. "Go... end this." She said, still in a state of shock. Everyone idled to be sure she was okay. Laevatein shot them a flash of anger. "You have soap in your ears? Just go before I change my mind!" They knew she was just upset, but they found little reason to argue and marched on.

They barreled into Surtr's chamber and found Helbindi dead on the floor. Kiran and Hrid were already there, doing their best to hold back the undying flame. They arrived just in time to see Aversa get pulverized by Surtr. His armor was falling apart, and he seemed worn down from all the fighting. But there was one thing that bugged everyone. Surtr's shadow was not his own. It was in the shape of a freakishly tall and slender woman in a tattered dress. "Hel's watching him." Fjorm thought aloud. But that wasn't important right now. She and the others came in to aid their friends. "Surtr! I challenge you to single combat. You have evaded your debts long enough."

But as everyone stepped aside to let them have their climactic final battle, Fjorm noticed that Surtr's sanity had finally shattered. No longer did he even have a stable and analytical mind. Everything in his life had burnt to ashes. Now all that was left was madness itself. "I am... war... I am... waaauuurrgh..." He hunched over in complete surrender to what he was: a wild animal with no sense of right and wrong. "Feel the wrath of Nifl, Surtr!" They both charged. **(The music "C-R-O-W-N-E-D" from Kirby's return to dreamland plays) **Surtr tried to tackle her like a bull, but she vaulted to the side and landed a huge gash on his side. "War... War... WAR!" As she fought off this lunatic, she wondered if anywhere in there was the real Surtr. But on the outside, all there was was this. She would honor his memory by putting him down one last time.

Surtr roared at her as fire erupted from his mouth. Fjorm used her lance to deflect the beam of flame away from her. She then ran at him full tilt and splattering him brutally across the face, thrashing him against the wall. "Wauur... I am... that is... my... is..." He then pulled the lava curtain in his throne room towards Fjorm, while retreating towards it. But Fjorm cut the coming wave of lava with her lance, slowly walking towards him as the ice cascaded the lava flow away from her. Her allies steering clear of it as well. "Cannot die yet... too soon...!" But Fjorm was unfazed, and Surtr knew he had to attack directly. He slashed at her with his axe, prompting her to block with her axe, flipping over the stream of lava as she rammed her lance straight through the scar on his face where her mother had landed years before. "Wa...r... i am... I am..." violently shoving her lance out of him, she took several slashes at him before plunging it through his chest. "Your war ends here."

Surtr looked down at the lance, dropping his own weapon. He grabbed it as if to try and shove it out... but just let it go. "I have failed you, Djin... I have... failed... you." As he said that, his flesh started melting away. But he didn't scream. He didn't even seem to notice the pain. He just stood there with a defeated expression on his face as his armor rusted and tore off of his body. His body mass shriveling until he was nothing more than a skeleton. Then his bones turned black as they fell apart as well. As if time had finally caught up to them. All was left was his skull as it clambered to the floor, before Fjorm crushed it under her heel. "And this time, don't come back." Just like that, it was truly at an end. Every flame in the castle went out as Surtr's lava curtain hardened into rock. Surtr's axe melting into paste along with its master.

Outside the castle, the sun rose and the clouds began to part. Loki standing on a distant cliff, and smirking before she vanished. Both Nifl and Askr celebrated the victory, while Múspell was given a new ruler in the form of Laevatein, who went on to form a more lasting pact with Nifl. While the Askrans would naturally like to go home after all this, they wanted to stay for one more thing. Fjorm's coronation was a joyous event that inspired hope in the hearts of her people as they underwent their rebuilding effort. They all stood in the crowds as she gave her speech. "-And it is only through all of our efforts that this sunrise has come after all this bloodshed. Whether that be from Askr, Nifl, or even Múspell. We are stronger when we work together. And so I thought it would only be fitting if I gave you some words from the woman who donated just as much as me to the cause..." she then eyed Kiran through the crowd.

Sharena turned to her. "That's your cue, Kiran." Kiran's face immediately went red. "W-what? But I've never given a speech like this befo-" She always got stage fright when public speaking, but upon seeing the spotlight was on her anyway, she decided she might as well play along. She nervously walked up to the stand as her friends watched. "Think she'll be okay up there?" Anna asked. Ylgr nodded. "Still, I'm amazed someone who faced Surtr would get so shaken by peer pressure." Kiran put on her best face of confidence as she stood in front of the assembled crowd, whom were cheering for her. She tried her best not to stutter. "Um... hi, I'm... er, my name is Kiran... i..." She cleared her throat in an attempt to play off her nervousness. "Sorry. To be entirely honest, I had a few episodes myself as the war trudged on. That's something people don't usually see. Everyone, regardless of how easy it may seem for them, has some form of struggle in their life. Whether it be having rough expectations, or difficulty trusting. Or even taking it upon yourself to help others realize their strengths." She said, slightly turning her head to the recently built statue of Gunnthra behind her.

"But... this war has taught me something about trust. You may foresee a bad outcome in putting your faith in someone else, but if you never try to begin with you'll never have a chance to see the good that could come of it to begin with. As a tactician, it's my job to consider the bad alternatives first, but life is full of surprises. There's always gonna be something to knock you down regardless of how well you prepare. And when you need to find the strength to get back up on your feet again, friends are there. So I'm not really as big a deal as everyone makes me out to be, but I'm glad to be a small part of something bigger." The crowd cheered for her as she got back down to her seat. Before leaving, she left a bouquet of flowers on Gunnthra's grave, and they all returned home to Askr...

That night, Kiran found herself in a dream. A dream where she was in a land of floating islands, and below was what appeared to be the sky, or the ocean. She found a bench in this little world and sitting on it was someone she recognized all too well. She looked in Kiran's direction. And it was only now Kiran realized her dream self was different, in that it looked exactly like her when she was awake. "You... you're the one Ylgr saw in her dreams. I must admit, I'm actually pretty excited to see you for myself." Kiran sat next to her like she had done all that time ago.

"Heh. So many things I want to say, and so little time to say it." Kiran said to herself. She wouldn't mess with the space time continuum by telling Gunnthra anything she should know, but she was glad she could give one last goodbye. Gunnthra raised an eyebrow. "You've met me already... you seem to recognize me. Could you tell me who you are?" She smiled and pulled her hood down. She wanted Gunnthra to see her face. "I'm Kiran..."

**(And take a bow, that's the end of the Surtr Saga. What'd you guys think? Took a while to get through all that. I'd easily say it was better than Veronica's time as villain. Both because of quality and quantity. But as the BattleBlock Theater narrator would say, buckle your pants. We've got plenty more story left to go. And though I'm planning on making the next chapter or so filler to help pad things out before the Hel Saga, I'll make sure they're still fun to read. Enjoy~)**


	20. Unwritten

**(Just as a fun fact, the birthday I'm giving Kiran is the same date as my real birthday. In fact, I'll be 18 in a week or two as of writing this. But enough about me. Let's get to it. Oh, and special shoutout to LDQ. You know who you are.)**

The date on the calendar was July 27th. It had been a day the order had been thinking about for some time now. For it was Kiran's birthday. In preparation for this, the order of heroes had... well... _ordered _a cake that Kiran had told them was her favorite: vanilla with buttercream frosting. There was just one problem that threw a monkey wrench into this whole thing. No one knew what Kiran wanted as a present for her birthday! Her soft spoken and reserved nature made guessing such a thing rather difficult. The girl did spend most of her time in her quarters, after all. Asking her upfront would spoil the joy of ambiguity, so her friends came up with a more... elaborate solution. And it all started with inviting over Fjorm and her family, which was already a no-brainer on account of how Kiran wanted them to come today anyway.

See, one thing the order knew for sure was that Kiran was very much like Corrin, in that she liked to sleep in. And now that there was relative peace, she could have that. The Askr siblings welcomed their friends at the door as they sat in the study and discussed their idea. They were gonna send Anna out into the town with Leo's plot convenience spellbook in order to send her back with Kiran's gift the instant she buys it. "You see, though Gunnthra was the best with it, you all possess power over dreams." Alfonse began. "So we wanted to know if you could send us into her mind, and we could look through her thoughts to see what she wants." Sharena finished.

Fjorm and the others were a tad hesitant. "I suppose that could be possible... but none of us have ever tried that before. Besides, isn't it a bit invasive looking through the contents of someone's mind?" Sharena elaborated. "We won't go in too deep, just enough to find what we're looking for." That seemed to convince them. Ylgr was nominated to perform the spell, on account of how she was the first one to have a dream of Kiran, and thus the spell would probably be easier. And as luck would have it, they had arrived early, so Kiran was still full snooze. They quietly entered her room as Ylgr gently pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I'll be able to talk to you while you're in there. But try not to linger. If you're still in there and Kiran wakes up, you'll be stuck in there for a while..." Ylgr whispered. The Askrans nodded as a white light enveloped them... and then...

Alfonse and Sharena opened their eyes. They were in some vast sky of stars and comets. They were standing on a platform that looked like a blanket, and they were surrounded by a series of doors. "Emotions... Memories... Hopes and dreams... Fears and nightmares..." Sharena read aloud, reading the inscriptions on the doors. It worked! They were in Kiran's mind! They then heard Ylgr's voice echoing in the air. "Looks like you're in. I'll keep Kiran's brain nice and sleepy with some melatonin, but try to be in and out as soon as you can." They took a moment to decide where to check first. But the two of them easily agreed 'Hopes and dreams' was a good place to start.

They found themselves in a corridor of several portals. All having an image in them displaying an idea of what awaited inside. At the end of the hallway was a portal that had no image at all, but just had a luminous glow. "That must be Kiran's current dream." Alfonse deduced. Sharena then got an idea. "Dreams are usually influenced by what you think in the day, right? Well, maybe she's thinking about her birthday in there." It was a sound idea. Couldn't hurt to try. Ylgr then chimed in. "That's a good thought. Just try not to disrupt the dream. If Kiran doesn't feel happy, the dream will change in response." Yeah, if she had a nightmare she might wake up prematurely. So the duo walked through the portal to find themselves in a land that looked almost exactly like Valla, but with some key differences.

It was much more beautiful than the real Valla. They had arrived in what looked like a hedge maze with flowers, though it wasn't a 'maze' sort of maze, as the exit seemed easy enough to find. Under the blue sky was a rainbow. White stone pillars decorated the place as well, and the center of the maze had a fountain with the statue of a pegasus. **(The music "Heaven" from Persona 4 plays) **"I don't think I've ever seen a place so beautiful before...!" Sharena stated, at a loss for words. That's when they noticed two figures sitting on a bench near the fountain. They approached and saw it was a man and a woman. The man wore a pure white tuxedo minus the hat, and the woman wore a wedding dress. The man had dark blue hair just like Kiran's, and the woman was holding a bouquet.

"Are they who I think they are...?" Sharena asked. The two of them looked incredibly happy together. It had to be Kiran's parents. The couple stood up before noticing they had company. "Ah, Alfonse! Sharena! How goes it?" Kiran's dad cheerfully greeted. Alfonse was caught off guard. "Y-you know us, sir?" The mother giggled. "Of course we do, milord. How could we not, after all you two did for our daughter?" That's when they remembered this was just a dream. A dream that Kiran's thoughts and desires directed. "Erm... oh, yes. My memory is a bit off today. Say, we were hoping to get Kiran a gift, and we were wondering if you knew what she'd want." The father turned to the mother. "Ah, that's sweet of you. But I'm afraid it's slipping my mind at the moment. You have a suggestion, Elizabeth ?" Elizabeth looked back at her husband. "Hmm... afraid not. My, Vinny. This is rather embarrassing, isn't it?"

Well, that was a letdown. "That's alright. Think you know anyone who could think of something." Vinny snapped his fingers. "Ah, good thinking, milord. I'm certain Azura would know something. She and Kiran actually came by here not too long ago." That confused them. Why would Azura be in Kiran's dream? She only ever summoned her once or twice. Oh well. Atleast they had an answer. They waved the couple goodbye and walked out of the maze to find themselves on a white wooden bridge (which thankfully had guard rails) leading to some sort of dome structure but with that ornate design famous in Askran architecture. "Woah, Alfonse..." Sharena point to the land below where they saw a flying ship in the skies below them. Kiran had one impressive imagination.

They entered the dome to see Kiran and Azura sitting in a picnic with Gunnthra in the garden on the other side. But what's shocking was that Kiran and Azura looked little kids. Kiran in particular dressed in a flower girl outfit. Kiran had a warm smile on that would put Kana to shame. The Askrans were about to say something about the age difference in the two girls, but they quickly remembered Kiran's childhood was the happiest time of her life. So that made sense. Something else then struck them: Kiran and Azura were holding hands. And not in the way two friends would. "Well, that's something I didn't see coming." Ylgr said. The two blue bloods shook the thought from their heads in order to pursue their objective. Sharena unable to take her mind off how cute they looked together.

"-Oh, and our leader happens to have the dumbest haircut in recorded history. Multiple people have gone on stage just to verify if the thing is real. I always imagine if a stray wind would blow it clean off his head." Kiran said, clearly telling her friends a story as they chuckled. "Um... excuse us?" The three of them turned to face Alfonse and Sharena. "Ah, great timing, you two. Care for a sandwich? Maybe some tea?" The pair approached as Kiran silently welcomed them. Alfonse decided to answer. "Sadly we can't stay. Busy doing something that you'll like. We actually came to ask a question. You mind if we borrow Azura for a bit?" Kiran turned to the blue haired songstress to verify her feelings on the matter. "I don't mind at all. Ask away~!" Azura responded. "We um... actually have to ask you in private. Is that okay?" Azura thought for a moment as she stood up. "I don't see why not. You are our friends after all."

So after going back into the dome, they asked Azura the question of what Kiran would want for her birthday. "Hmm... She always says that being with friends is enough, but she told me once how she was interested in seeing that play about Fódlan. So there's that." Alfonse knew what play she was talking about. It was about Byleth and her eccentric life as a teacher. If his memory served him right, a local theater was gonna play that tonight. "Thanks, Azura! You're the best." Sharena thanked. Azura smiled. "Anything for her." And she walked back to join her friends. It was still surprising that Kiran had a crush on her, but it was her choice, and they'd accept it regardless of what it was. "Check's in the bank. Now why don't you head on back here and-" Ylgr began, but she cut herself off.

"What is it?" Alfonse asked. "...Not to be the bearer of bad news, but I sense someone else just entered her mind. A dark presence..." that didn't sound good. They raced back to the room with all the doors to see one of them was now left open. "Fears and nightmares... of course." Sharena sighed. They knew anyone snooping around here couldn't be good news, so they went through the door and followed the trail through a particular portal into one of Kiran's nightmares. **(The music "King Bowser's Castle - Halls" from Yoshi's Wooly World plays)** they found themselves in some desolate land. The ground was harsh and rocky, and the sky was nothing but the color black with an eerie blue fog in the air. A lonely looking cathedral on a hill in the distance. Statues of people they knew populated the path there. The cathedral itself looked old and abandoned.

As they crossed an incredibly shallow river to get there, (said water feeling cold and having the murky color of pollution to it), they saw the pattern in the statues: they were all people Kiran cared about. And all of them were in poses that made them look sad, their expressions being a match for the gloomy atmosphere. Sharena... Fjorm... Alfonse... They saw Gunnthra's statue to see the statue itself was in pieces, and the statues that were on either side of the cathedral were all overgrown. They could easily tell what this was supposed to signify. It was Kiran's fear of being alone again. "I felt terrible the first time I saw such sadness in her eyes. She just... she seemed so happy to me. Guess I wasn't looking hard enough." Sharena stated to herself as they trudged up the hill. The cold air enhancing this place's overall feel. She couldn't help but feel a bit of the sorrow in this place.

Alfonse put a hand on her shoulder. "Chin up. She's gotten much better now. We're both giving our best effort, aren't we?" Ylgr chimed in. "He's right. I believe she had this nightmare not long after Gunnthra... well... you know." Sharena regained her confidence. "Alright. I'll keep at it. There's nothing good friends can't do." They then both walked into the cathedral. No one was there. Some of the chairs were chipped, or knocked over, and the carpet was ripped in several places and faded from old age. There standing at the other end was the intruder: Tether. She stood there looking up at the alter. Not even paying her visitors any sort of mind. **"It's futile... all of it. Hope...? Faith...? Nothing more than unfounded beliefs ready to be crushed at some point..." **she spoke.

They drew their weapons and slowly approached Tether. "You... you're Kiran's dark side, correct?" Alfonse asked, being careful not to provoke her yet. Tether growler at them, as she robotically turned to face them. **"What I am is the truth she doesn't even know exists... I commend you for somehow following me here, but your efforts are as they've always been: pointless." **They knew anything this thing says needed to be taken with a grain of salt. She is basically a mass of all of Kiran's unhappiness in one body. "If you truly are a part of Kiran, then why do you believe she fights by our side if she thinks our efforts are in vain like you say?" Tether looked disinterested, but answered anyway. **"Because she is stubborn. The world kicks her to the curve, and she still has the pride to get back up to be knocked down anew. This 'friendship' she holds with you? It's nothing more than a means to cast out the pain of isolation. Let this world be your proof."**

This definitely wasn't the Kiran they knew. Without any positivity to balance out the negative, Tether was just a walking corpse. "You are incapable of understanding bonds, being a nihilistic beast and all. Answer me this: why do you serve Loki if you're so through with your humanity?" Tether cracked the muscles in her neck. **"She understands. That's what both of us want: understanding. For once I feel someone can tolerate me... someone can share my darkness... that said, I can agree she has no mercy for my eardrums. As you may have guessed, I have returned to this body so that I may refuel on what made me. As you can imagine, you insects are starving me out." **They tightened their grip on their weapons. Sadly, they knew only Kiran herself could defeat this. **"...But you are too late. I am back to full power. So permit me to lay you down to rest here... with the rest of these broken dreams." **She then fired out her Røkkr. This time, it was the empty vessel, Takumi. She then faded in a surge of dark energy. Letting out a quiet and raspy laugh. **"Hmmhmmhmm..."**

The Røkkr destroyed the room of the cathedral so it could move around more easily. They had to destroy this thing, and quickly before Kiran wakes up! Takumi shot his arrows, thankfully slowed down by his massive size. Sharena tried attacking his feet in the hopes it would cause him to lumber over and give her access to the head. But Takumi saw what she was doing and raised his foot to stomp. "Get low!" Alfonse shouted as Sharena dodged and the broken walls around them shook. Mustering up his strength, Alfonse leaped up the Røkkr and slashed at him with every hop. He climbed up his legs, then his hand, and was sprinting up the arm towards the head when Takumi lowered said arm, causing him to fall.

Luckily, he grappled onto one of the giant arrows the Røkkr has fired, and slid down it like a fire pole to safety. "Sharena, we need to hit it with everything we've got! Follow my lead!" Alfonse commanded. Sharena nodded, and they both rushed Takumi with their respective critical attacks. The Røkkr actually taking significant damage as it fell over to its knees, and they finished him off by sticking their weapons in his eyes. But then they failed to register one last thing... the Røkkr started to collapse, and they would end up getting crushed by it! They tried their best to flee, but the wall holding the door had collapsed to rubble from all the destruction, blocking their exit. But just as they thought it was all over, a burst of light shot from the heavens and destroyed the Røkkr in one go. Sharena and Alfonse looked over to see their savior: a woman in a white and gold dress with short green hair. It certainly wasn't anyone they knew.

The woman turned to them and explained. "Hello, royalty of Askr. Glad to see I didn't arrive too late. My name is Thórr. I have been watching over you for some time now. Unfortunately, we'll have to save explanations for another time. You two focus on escaping." They were surprised, but at this point they didn't ask questions. They took her advice, made their way back to the room with the doors, and successfully made their way back to reality. After all was said and done, they left Kiran's room and were relieved Anna had already come back with the tickets for that show Kiran wanted to see.

Ylgr was quite proud she managed to successfully pull off this mission, and not soon after they prepared everything, Kiran woke up for her birthday. She couldn't be happier to spend this day with her closest friends, and it was a good thing too considering Alfonse and Sharena almost died to make it perfect. Fortunately, it was a joyous day that Kiran wouldn't soon forget. The order of heroes certainly had much to think about. Like the revelation of Kiran's thing for Azura, and the identity of that Thórr woman. But one thing they knew for sure was that the next time they needed ideas for a present, they would just ask...


	21. Ring out

**(Today I decided to do a little crossover chapter with a loyal reviewer of mine, Half-beastdragonsoul2013. That said, I've been planning this chapter during the Surtr Saga, so it's not completely out of left field. And understand his Kiran's appearance will be non-canon to his story, as I am unable to read minds and thus prone to getting his image wrong. Aight? Aight.)**

**Down below, in a kingdom forbidden to the living...**

Surtr found himself in a dark room, his limbs chained to a wall. He was in a prison cell. "War... wargh... I am... I... wha-? What... what happened?" Upon remembering his surroundings, he realized exactly where he was. From the curtain of shadows beyond his cell door, he saw her. Her voice as vacant and emotionless as ever. "You lost. And I'm afraid that means you will not be seeing your wife again for a long, long time, as agreed by our deal." It was the goddess of death, Hel. She was freakishly tall, her dress black and torn in several places. Her pinkish-purple rib cage visible for all to see through her literally clear skin. Her signature scythe in her hand, and her hair as long and messy as its always been. Surtr was actually relieved to be back here. He could no longer destroy in Djin's name. And he was more than content with that.

"So be it... I know she wouldn't want to see me after what I've done anyway. I welcome your punishment. It is the perfect way to ensure I never forget the horrible things I've done." Hel grasped the cold rusty bars of his cell. Her claw-like purple nails on display. If she could feel pity, she most certainly would now. "If this is what brings you peace, I suppose I would not rob you of that. Even so, your incompetence means I must take matters into my own hands. Let the fire go out. Askr will find no warmth in the cold embrace of death..." and with that, she slinked back into the shadows. Surtr did not fear her, but he was curious how the little princeling would handle what was to come...

**Back in the realm of the living...**

Anna had caught wind of something she just _had _to make bank off of. One of her sisters was holding an outrealm competition between the Kirans from different timelines, and dimensions, and worlds. It's said that any participants get some prize money in accordance to how well they entertained the crowd. Normally Kiran wasn't one to assert her strength, but considering no one has to worry about dying for once, she decided it could be a good way to improve herself. So the gang made their way to the outrealm coliseum where this was taking place. Immediately upon entering, Kiran and her allies were given wristbands with a number on it, so that they could easier identify one another in the vast sea of other versions of themselves no doubt here. For our particular Kiran, her number was 257.

The joint was run by a version of Anna who's own self-records states she originates from the world of mystery. And she prefers to go by the nickname 'Anna Prime'. At first it seemed strange that an Anna would give away money in a competition, but that mystery quickly solved itself when they found out the price of watching said matches. Regardless, Kiran signed herself up and was relieved to see that these fights would either be against the Kiran themselves, or the hero they summon, and not both. Especially since for all she knows, her other selves could be much stronger than her. She went into the VIP lounge, where all the other Kirans were while waiting to be called up. Some of them were much like her, while others much different. Some were guys, some were taguels and manakets, and personality was rarely ever a constant.

Anyway, from what she saw in the rule guidelines the receptionist gave her, this was a tag-team tournament. So that meant she'd probably want a partner to have a chance in this. And because she wasn't particularly picky, she decided to wait for one to come to her. So while she waited on one of the couches, someone walked up to her. She had a red shirt on, and light brown hair. She lacked the robe that was a staple for a Kiran, but she seemed to wear the same clothes from the waist down. Her light brown hair was short, and she wore glasses. She had rather impressive muscles and tan skin, and she was quite short compared to her. She kinda looked like a mesh between her and Rinkah. "Hey there. Excited for the tournament?" She asked. Kiran was polite, but secretly a bit surprised this was actually another version of her.

"Well, I see no harm in it. Plus it'll make my Anna happy, so I guess." The other her sat next to her, resting the axe that appeared to be her weapon of choice on her lap. "I hear ya. My Alfonse and Sharena wanted me to have some fun, so here i am. The name's Gina. You?" She said, extending her hand revealing her wristband's number, (and by extension, the number of what world she was from), was 419. "Kiran." She answered, shaking her hand shyly. Kiran always had something of a limp handshake, but Gina's was unsurprisingly firm. "So do you have a partner yet? Probably not, considering you're sitting by yourself." Kiran scratched the back of her head. "Yeah... You wouldn't mind to be my partner, would you...?" Gina chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, Sakura. I was planning to do that anyway. If you can't find a partner, they just link you up with someone else at random. Just wanted to know if you were good at fighting?" Kiran saw no point in being dishonest. "Not me specifically, but I'm good at using my heroes." Gina gave a thumbs up. "Sweet! Then I doubt there's much we need to worry about."

So the two of them decided to have a conversation while they listened to the announcements from Anna Prime about the current match. "So all of the Annas are apparently sisters, right? They all look the same, and have the same name, and same personality?" Kiran asked. Gina shrugged. "Well, my Anna and yours are technically the same person across two separate timelines, sooo..." Kiran put a hand on her chin in contemplation. "Well, I think it's just absurd that all these completely identical sisters are scattered across multiple worlds, and some have mastered the art of world-hopping. I believe they really are the same person, just reincarnated across time and space." It truly was a riddle that may never be solved. Then, after a while they heard Anna Prime. "Contestants 257 and 419, it's time to battle." Welp, here goes nothing.

The both of them walked out into the arena. Their opponents being wolfssegner Kiran, and knight Kiran. The thing was, they didn't know that yet. To prevent either side from attaining an unfair advantage by seeing their opponent, or their hero of choice, there's actually a wall that comes down to block the view of each team. And the wall vanished when the fight begins. Kiran summoned Deen, because he was cool and deadly with a sword. A great pick for a fighting tournament. After that, the countdown began and the wall came down. "Prepare for a professional butt kicking!" Gina shouted, as she charged at knight Kiran, whom readied his lance. Meanwhile wolfssegner Kiran transformed and proceeded to swipe her claws at Deen.

Kieran's order of heroes watched from the stands. Sharena happily eating her popcorn. Anna recording the fight with a new tome she made. "Anna, you do remember you'll get kicked out if they catch you with that thing, right?" Alfonse asked. "Oh, learn to live a little. This is just too good an opportunity to pass up!" Back with the fight, wolfssegner Kiran, (whom for simplicity's sake shall hence be referred to as WS) excitedly battled the reserved swordsman. "Awooo! It's do not fair that I don't have you yet." She wined, her personality being similar to Selkie.

Gina and KK dukes it out, Gina's attacks aiming for strength over speed, while KK's fighting style was more on the swift and graceful side. KK laughed with his English accent as his armor granted him increased protection from her attacks. "Stand still, you're like a squirrel on caffeine!" Gina groaned. KK seemed like an arrogant nobleman like Maribelle. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. For now though, she started catching on to him, striking where he was gonna move and being sure to strike his exposed areas. Meanwhile, the battle of man versus monster continued as Deen got a few clean hits on WK. "Looks like you play rough... I can do that too." She then sideswiped him with her claws, breaking off some of his armor and knocking him off balance.

"Ha! If my sight were compromised, I would assume I was fighting Mozu! You match the strength and height." That comment enraged Gina. "Did you just call me short!? No one _EVER_ calls me short!" She struck him in the round tables with her axe and then head butted him for good measure. Knocking him down for the count. "Yowch! Is that attack against the rules? Let me see, um... oh yeah, I kept forgetting to actually write down any move-related rules. Fine, you guys get that one." Anna Prime announced. Deen held his ground against the giant wolf monster, striking her under the jaw with her sword to weaken it, then leading Gina to leap in and finish her off with a slash to the face. She then transformed back. "Owww. You guys are pretty vicious!" The healers on the sidelines mended their wounds, and Kiran and Gina won the match.

The crowd cheered, especially the order of heroes from the victors worlds. Kiran's Sharena would've cheered the loudest if she wasn't absent courtesy of the large soda she had. But as they were about to go back to the lounge, someone entered the booth Anna Prime was in. It was a Kiran that had Lucina's mask on. She was in a full fledged boxer outfit, and had a white and gold headband to match her outfit. She whispered to Anna Prime. "What's that...? Oh, are you sure...? Alright, if you say so. Fighters, it appears last year's champion, Krest wants to take a swing at you. Do you accept the challenge?"

The crowd roared at the thought, as Kiran and Gina thought about it. "Bring it on! I'm up for anything." Gina taunted, excitedly. Krest smirked in the booth before leaping out and dramatically backflipping into the arena. **(The music "Vs Masked Royal" from Pokémon: Sun and Moon plays) **Krest folded her arms. Her award winning smile on full display as the crowd went wild. "Problem with being on top is very few feel encouraged to take a swing at you. I'm glad you're a brave lot." Krest commented, her voice courageous and charismatic. Kiran kept Deen out, feeling he did pretty well so far. Gina cracked a smile. "Do you really intend to fight us all by yourself?"

Krest got into a fighting stance as a sword materialized in her hand. "Indeed. You see, my Breidablik doesn't summon heroes. It summons weapons. And I'm a master of all of them. Give me your best, and I'll do the same." The round began, and Deen launches the first attack, as Gina had the weapon disadvantage. Despite this, Gina joined in the effort as well. Krest deflected his sword with her own before throwing his arm back and retaliating. Deen blocked with his shield, but the force knocked him off his feet. With Deen down, Gina tried to strike at the unprotected skin Krest's outfit displayed. But Krest grabbed her arm half-way and lunges it forward to send her axe swinging out of her hand and into a nearby wall.

Deen had gotten back up, but Krest came in for another attack. Deen once again defended himself, though his efforts didn't get far as when he thrust his sword forward, she flung her own blade down to pin his weapon into the ground. She then elbowed his arm, causing him to get a concussion from his own shield. She picked up his sword to double her attacking power and held them to his neck, forcing his surrender. Meanwhile, Gina threw her axe at her but she easily dodged it and closed the distance between them, pinning her to the wall with both her swords. And just like that, it was over. "And our winner is Krest!" The crowd cheered as Sharena rushed back to her seat. "Did I miss anything!?" Alfonse smirked. "Pretty much everything." Sharena pouted, and sat down.

Krest shook hands with her opponents. "Man, you are no joke. But don't expect to be my superior forever." Gina competitively jabbed. Krest laughed in good spirit. "Maybe one day, 419. Keep practicing, and you'll get there." Kiran felt no shame in losing to such a fighter like her. "I had fun. Let's do this again sometime." Krest smiled at her good sportsmanship. "Of course. I'd love that." And after that, the two returned to the lounge. "Well, if you're gonna go out, might as well do it in style." Gina reassured, stretching as the two of them retrieved their valuables from the lockers. "I'm amazed you guys are so good at fighting. Maybe I should pick up the slack myself." Kiran spoke aloud. Gina patted her on the back. "What you do is good on its own. You do you, and I'll do the same." Kiran nodded. And so they returned to their respective order of heroes, and watched the rest of today's matches.

**(Hope you guys enjoyed the little change of scenery. Heaven knows that training will come useful when Hel strikes. I imagine I'll finish my Celica story when this one is over, and after that I'll probably consider what my next story will be. Got plenty of ideas, it's just a matter of choosing which one has the most potential.)**


	22. Graveripper

**(Welp, here we are. The first chapter of the Hel Saga. For all you FE: Heroes players from the future, this is the part of the game Nintendo is still making right now. So let's pray we don't catch up too quickly. But if we do, I still have my ideas on the story. It's time for book 3. The day the light died...)**

It has been a wonderful few months here in Askr. Kiran was more than happy to welcome the long period of respite after Surtr was defeated. Since she had finally opened up to her friends during that war, she's felt less frightened about sharing her real feelings with her friends, and as a result she's developed a sense of confidence on par with the rest of the order. She still had moments of doubt, but they weren't as self-deprecating as it once was. And today looked like it was gonna be an extra special day. You see, Queen Henriette, Alfonse and Sharena's mother, was coming over to escort them to their castle. King Gustav had summoned them, which judging by Alfonse's reaction, wasn't often. So Kiran made certain she was on her best behavior the whole time, which wasn't very difficult for her. Soon enough, everyone was waiting in the foyer for the queen's arrival.

"Oh man, I can't wait to introduce you to mother!" Sharena cheered. "Just remember, if father called us, it probably isn't just for a family reunion." Alfonse stated, not nearly as excited as Kiran hoped he would be. "Come on, Alfonse. It's been forever since I've seen you smile in front of your old man." Alfonse just sighed. "He's just not the sort for idle chitchat. And I wouldn't want to waste his time." Sharena pouted. "It just wouldn't hurt to seem even a little happy about it." Then a line of soldiers at the door blew their trumpets as what was unmistakably Queen Henriette walked in. Sharena's appearance was definitely from her side of the family. She wore a gold and dark blue dress with white sleeves and matching blue opera length gloves. She also had a snug looking white fur cape. Her hair and eye color both matched Sharena's, and said hair was tied into double bun of sorts. Completing the look was a gold tiara and a circlet around her forehead.

Henriette walked up to them as Sharena instantly hugged her and Henriette instinctively returned the gesture. "It's so wonderful to see you two~! I've been reading Sharena's letters, and I'm proud of the things you've been doing." It was here when Alfonse finally grew a smile. "You are too kind, mother..." Henriette then turned her attention to the hooded tactician. "Oh, you must be Kiran." She said, while approaching her. Kiran curtsied. "Yes, milady." Henriette giggled. "No need to be so modest, after everything you've done for us, I think you've earned our respect." Kiran didn't know what to say. "T-thank you, milady." Anna then spoke up. "Sorry that we'll have to come back with you, considering you just got here, Queen Henriette." But that didn't seem to bother her. "That's quite alright. Besides, I'm sure you'll all have stories to tell on the trip. I insist you share them with me." So they all went into the carriage with her and set off for Gustav's castle.

Along the way there, Henriette listened along as they all told her tales of their adventures. About the heroes they met, the battles they have, and the one time they beat Desaix by launching him on his back, and he was still there after Kiran had recovered from her brush with Veronica. But Sharena wanted to know something, even if it was a bit personal to speak of in front of her mother. "So Kiran, I know you don't prioritize things like love over your everyday duties, but do you imagine that could be an option one day?" Kiran's face almost instantly shot red at the question. "Now now, Sharena. It's impolite to pry into a topic like that." Kiran shook her head. "No, i-it's fine. Maybe I do, but... well, we all know the rules of summoning. The instant we decide to send a hero back home, they'll instantly forget all of us." Sharena frowned. "Oh... yeah, I forgot about that." Not wanting to leave her friends grasping at straws, Kiran elaborated further.

"The reason I feel the way I do is because of my role as an 'overseer'. The world I lent myself to back then was the world of fates. Corrin was my vessel, and as a result I saw the world through her eyes. There was one person who was there for me regardless of my choices, and they stood as a hymn of compassion and reasoning in the hard and confusing world I came from. It was sad, and it was pathetic, but it was really all i had. They introduced a concept that was foreign to me: unconditional kindness. They didn't owe me any debt, and they didn't gain anything from empathizing with me, but they did. And that's why things fell into place like they did." An air of concern filled the carriage. "Kiran..." Anna started, but she didn't know what she wanted to say. But Henriette spoke for her. "I believe there's nothing wrong about feeling a certain way. It isn't hurting anyone, so don't feel ashamed of something so beyond yourself as affection." Kiran nodded. She wouldn't be comfortable saying it was Azura specifically, but it was nice that her friends were so understanding about it all.

Then, the carriage suddenly came to a stop... "Huh? Are we there already?" Alfonse asked. "No, I doubt it. We're only about a third of the trip." Henriette explained. Their driver opened the door. "I apologize for the inconvenience, your grace, but there appear to be some strange men standing in our path. We've asked them to move, but they only responded with what sounds like gibberish." Alfonse knew whoever they were, it meant trouble. He drew his sword and walked out. "I'll deal with this. Surely they'll listen to reason." Henriette then stood up. "Alfonse, dear. I think I know who they may be. Please let us help you." Everyone else then got their weapons out. "I want you to relax, mother. This rabble is beneath you. But everyone else, you can join." Henriette hesitantly nodded. "Be safe out there. I'll be in the carriage if you need my help." So everyone stepped out and walked over to see what they were facing.

**(The music "True Form of Evil" from Fire Emblem: Fates plays) **What they see surprises them. It was Chrom. Kaze. Zola. And... someone else, who appeared to be leading them. All the heroes they recognized had some noticeable differences. They all had gray skin and glowing red eyes, as well as a black aura around them. They all stood in a zombie-esque stance visually similar to Tether. Their faces contorted into a permanent demented frown. Chrom had a stab wound in his chest, Kaze had gangrenous bruises all over him, and Zola had painful looking splinters plunged in his skin. The man they didn't recognize looked slightly taller than Alfonse. His hair dark blue, and he had the same red eyes and sickly skin as his allies. He wore a mouth piece that resembled a demon's jaws, and he wore spiky black armor with a ragged cape. His exposed chest glew light blue, and everyone could see through it to see his the skeleton underneath.

"What's with these guys? Getting a real freaky vibe from them." Anna observed. "Not one of Veronica's teams of heroes... there's something off about them." Alfonse added. The creepy man stepped forward. "Your efforts have not been enough..." his voice was deep. Monotone. Not expressly threatening, but not friendly either. "Sir, you appear to be blocking our path. We'd like to ask you to stand aside." Alfonse announced. The man merely narrowed his eyes. "Your act of composure, it's embarrassing. For both of us." He drew his own sword. A glowing purple sword that looked fear-inducingly sharp. Alfonse didn't flinch at the unspoken warning . "I'd like to ask for your name, sir. Surely we could come to some agreement here." The man snickered behind his face mask. "Agreement? Heh. There's nothing you could do that could possibly help me."

Alfonse then pointed his sword at the man. "Then you give us no choice. Whoever you are, please know you brought this on yourself." They both approached each other. The man's steps were slow, as if to establish superiority over the Askran prince. "Haha... indeed, I have. Attack." The heroes behind him then rushed by towards Kiran and her allies. Kiran summoned Noire and had her open fire on the advancing horde. Alfonse and the stranger struck at each other, sending a shockwave out in both directions. Sharena and Chrom went toe to toe, where Sharena learned firsthand that he seemed much deadlier than his usual self. He was VERY aggressive, attacking her with a flurry of slices like he was a madman, yet lacking the deranged speech of one. In fact, he didn't open his mouth at all.

Anna was up against Kaze. She was glad that ninjas like him weren't really heavy hitters, but if he landed a single one of his poison coated shurikens, she knew her strength would drop fast. So the most reasonable thing to do would be to close the gap, and while she was deflecting his volley of projectiles, it would be hard getting very close without getting hit. Noire's talisman kicked in, giving her a killing edge against Zola. Especially since in life, Zola relied more on schemes than brute strength. "BWAHAHAHA! You moronic animals shall PERISH!" She had riddled him full of arrows already, but they didn't seem to slow him down at all. Kiran had no idea how these guys could have changed so drastically.

"Accept your fate with honor and dignity!" The stranger barked at Alfonse, as the two of their swords rang out through the area with their violent clashes. Alfonse knew by this guy's appearance that he was no normal traveler. He probably wasn't a mercenary or assassin either, as he's dealt with both, and they don't fight as well as he does. "My fate is not death this day, stranger!" He slashed at his shoulder, cutting through about half of it, but it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. The stranger just continued his assault, cleanly shattering a chunk of Alfonse's armor with one attack. "If not today, then another day. Death comes for us all." Kiran was getting nowhere with Zola. "Anna! Let's swap." Anna was more than happy to oblige, and they switched opponents.

Anna had a much less risky time getting close to Zola, bouncing one of his attacks of her axe, and deflecting it over towards Sharena. "Woah!" Sharena ducked just in time, and the ball of magic crashed straight into Chrom's face instead, leaving a gruesome burn mark on him, but otherwise not doing that much. Anna then sliced at Zola, cutting him clean in half as his body dissolved into nothing. "What the...?" Not asking questions, she went to help Kiran with a more distracted Kaze. "Kya!" The stranger kicked Alfonse in the gut, sending him into a tree. Alfonse managed to shake his dizziness just in time to duck under his follow up attack, as the stranger sliced the tree behind him like it was nothing. "Don't you get it, little man? I'm doing you a mercy." Alfonse grit his teeth. "Thanks, but I don't want it!"' And the two struck each other blade to blade once again, the force blowing their swords out of their hands, landing several paces back in their respective direction.

Sharena had run Chrom through multiple times with her lance, but it just didn't faze him. His puncture wounds on full display as he smacked her with the hilt of his sword to daze her, before knocking her off her feet with a punch to the face. Sharena rubbed her face as she tried to get back up as fast as she could, but she stumbled in the process. Now open to a killing blow, Chrom raised his sword, but was interrupted by a storm of arrows and Anna's axe in his gut. Just like Zola before him, he faded away without a trace. Kiran helped her up. "Man am I glad I have you guys. These... _things _are ferocious!" They all rushes to Alfonse's aid. Alfonse and the stranger were covered in sweat. They were so evenly matched, it was uncanny! Alfonse panted. "Why do you insist on being so stubborn!?" The stranger growled. "You won't like what comes next if you get to where you're going."

The stranger felt someone was behind him, and turned to defend against Anna's axe. But at the same time, Sharena had rammed him in with her lance, and Noire danced around him filling him full of holes. "You will-!" But before he could finish his sentence, Anna and Alfonse plunged their own weapons into his chest from both sides. The man then collapsed, his broken body lying motionless in the dirt. Everyone looked down at him, expecting him to fade away like those before him, but he didn't. "Yeesh. I don't wanna do that again." Anna joked as Kiran dismissed Noire. Kiran inspected the stranger's body. "These people aren't normal. Whatever they were, it would be unwise to ignore them." Henriette stepped out of the carriage. "You all should hurry back in! If they found us here, we need to get to the castle fast!" Everyone turned to her. "Wait, you know what these freakshows are?" Sharena asked. But before she could answer, Kiran screamed and jumped back. "Uhhh, guys...?" She shakily pointed to the stranger.

His eyes darted open as his bones slowly crunched and crackled and popped back into place. His wounds slowly healing themselves as he clang back to life. "You can't kill him, he's already dead! Get in the carriage, now!" Henriette yelled. No one asked questions, and followed her advice. Once everyone was in, Henriette turned to the driver. "Go as fast as you can, don't stop until you're sure we're safe!" The driver obliged, going full speed. The carriage rammed the stranger over and trampled him under the hooves of their horses. Everyone looked out the back window and watched the sight of the stranger get left in the dust behind them. "Mother, who is that man!? What's going on!?" Henriette decided she might as well explain. "This is what your father wanted to discuss. That man was a general of Hel's army. The land of the dead has invaded." Fear filled the air as they sped away to safety. They managed to evade that stranger, but death was absolute...

**(I had fun writing this fight scene. Very atmospheric, I like that. Just as a warning, tomorrow I'm gonna be busy all day. Dentist appointments, job interviews, all that boring life stuff. So I'll do my best to make another chapter tomorrow, but if I can't, that's why.)**


	23. Deadbeat

**(_Everything appears to be falling into place. No doubt she isn't gonna go down without a fight... but I've planned it all out. Hel? Kiran? They're playing their parts well. Soon it will be time to take back my creation and ensure my revenge on the overseers... -???)_**

The gang had thankfully managed to get to the castle without any further mishap. Upon exiting the carriage, Kiran noted how Gustav's castle was bigger and fancier than the one she'd been living in since her arrival. But at the same time, it lacked that bright and open atmosphere that was a staple of Askr. Plenty of troops filled the surrounding area. Some practicing their weapon proficiency, some just on post guarding, and some were doing marching drills. Kiran always understood people are more than what they appear on the outside, no doubt thanks to her own experiences. But this castle seemed to symbolize the phenotype of King Gustav's personality. A man of structure and order, but lacking outward warmth. "Well, we're here. Come along now." Queen Henriette encouraged. And her peers followed her once more.

Kiran wanted to make Alfonse feel less intimidated by the prospect of seeing his father, so she tried to lighten the mood with a little small talk. "I know I've never met him, but if he truly is such a respectable man, there's no doubt he cares deeply for you." Alfonse smiled to signify his appreciation. "I know. It's my desire to make him proud as the future king of Askr." Henriette overheard their conversation. "He does, Kiran. You should see him when he gets all embarrassed when I mention his softer side. I'm sure he won't treat you wrong, knowing of your good deeds and all." Kiran raised an eyebrow. "You're certain he would... want to see me?" Henriette nodded. "Trust me, if he has any objections, he'll have to go through me." Henriette was like Gunnthra and Sharena merges together. Kiran liked her already.

They all walked into the throne room to see King Gustav in all his glory, and his royal guards standing in obedience on either side of him. Gustav was a man who radiated strength. He had wavy, but neat dark blue hair. His armor having the same gold and white as his kingdom as a whole, but it looked far more regal than what Kiran was used to. He had a goatee, and was muscular, but not overbearingly buff like Surtr. "Hello, father." Alfonse stated, kneeling. Gustav sat on his throne and gazed down at his son. **(The music "Here we are! The shepherd's garrison" from FE: Awakening plays) **"Glad to see your trip here was successful. I apologize for stealing your time on such short notice, but we have important matters to discuss." Alfonse stood again. "We bumped into Hel's troops on the way here. Why would she suddenly invade like this?" Sharena asked. Gustav turned his head to face her. "Unfortunately, we do not know. As you can imagine, we have quite the obstacle steering in from behind. Now that all of us are together, we can begin forging a plan for this new threat."

Anna stepped forward. "Pardon me, your majesty, but how does one go about fighting against death itself?" Gustav shook his head. "Aye, that is not something any of us can claim to know. But nothing will be achieved if we sit here and wait for ruin to befall us all. So the only alternative is to find Hel, and discover a weakness." Henriette cleared her voice. "Not to interrupt, dear, but we have a special guest." Gustav then looked at Kiran, as if just now noticing she was there. "Hmm... I see." Kiran stayed quiet. Not talking unless talked to, just in case that was necessary to maintain a good first impression with the king. "Your contributions are appreciated, young overseer. But you must know by now that this is war. If you feel reluctance to stand alongside your comrades and fight till the bitter end, your enemies shall not grant you any pity. Do you understand?" Kiran bowed her head. "Y-yes, milord." His expression was approving at her answer. "Then you are one of us. Remember these words when you take that stand."

Henriette rolled her eyes. "Don't scare the poor girl, honey." Gustav paused, and then returned to the discussion at hand. "Now then, our path to drawing death out is simple: simply make an impression on her generals, and in theory she would appear to judge the threat. You may all contribute in this way, but it is imperative that when Hel arrives, DO NOT engage her yourselves. I don't believe it needs explaining that if you fight her, it's already too late. Under absolutely no circumstances are you to disregard this advice." Everyone silently agreed, as Gustav sat back down on his throne. "The march is tomorrow. The sooner we take the fight to those living corpses, the better. Take this time today to take in everything I've told you. You may now be excused." The order gave one last gesture of respect, and then left the room. "See? That went pretty well, all things considered." Sharena chimed. Alfonse looked to the ceiling, thoughts flowing in and out. "Indeed. Such a shame it's under such grim circumstances..."

The others had all gone off to do their own thing while Henriette showed Kiran the way to her new room in the foreseeable future. "Gustav always says how a soldier's home is on the battlefield. But I don't think that means you can't have nice things when the battle hasn't begun yet." Kiran followed her, until they found themselves outside one of the doors. Henriette opened it, and Kiran studied her new surroundings. It was more luxurious than her old one, which to be fair, her old room wasn't even really a bed room on account of how her friends didn't anticipate her arrival. Kiran placed her boots by the door to feel how soft the rugs were. "I'm grateful you consider me in such high regards, milady." Kiran lies back on the bed, falling in love with how comfy it was. Henriette sat down on the edge. "It's my belief that everyone deserves to be happy. Especially a hero."

Kiran rested her head against the pillow. "I don't actually do any of the fighting, Sharena probably told you I'm a very easy target without Breidablik." Henriette stretched her arms. "Still, you can probably attest that power isn't everything. That Surtr brute didn't pose much of a threat once he was rendered mortal. Especially without that Loki woman." That last part brought a reoccurring thought back to Kiran. "Yeah... it bothers me that she's still out there. I don't like how easily she turned on her former master..." Henriette stood up again, looking back down at Kiran. "I have faith you'll catch her someday. Maybe after Hel is dealt with, we could probably resume your search." Kiran waved to Henriette as she walked out, and used this time to juice this for all it was worth. Still, she was a bit unnerved that she was gonna need to strategize against death itself...

**The next day...**

Kiran woke up first thing, mostly because a maid came in to tell her they'd be departing soon. Were it any other day, Kiran wouldn't like being woken up early, but it was a good thing that she'd be awake to have some breakfast before they march off to fight Hel. One time during the war with Múspell, Kiran had summoned Hinoka to cook something for her, aaand immediately regretted it when she'd have to put up with stomach cramps for the coming hours. Apparently all that naginata training really made her sacrifice some culinary skills. So she managed to get all the necessities out of the way before the march. She had to admit that being with her friends with an actual army made her feel much less exposed to the enemy.

So they marched, and marched, until they saw something on the horizon. Even from this distance, they could tell by the black mist in the distance was their target. King Gustav was on the front lines, while Henriette stayed more in the middle as a healer. The order of heroes was on the border of middle and front, being more equipped for the coming fight than most others. Everyone came to a stop as the enemy stood within shouting distance. Many of the soldiers pooled in Hel's army were fallen foot soldiers from armies Kiran had seen before. Askr, Embla, Nifl, and Múspell. All with that same creepy alterations as the heroes from before, and their injuries showing the manner in which they died. What was unmistakably their commander stood in the front.

It was a woman with a sleek build. She had long white hair, and a domino mask of sorts. She had a head accessory that resembled horns, and she wore an old and tattered white cape. She had black armor, and like the stranger before her, her skin was see-through in the chest area. This time glowing an ominous shade of red. Only hers extended to her bottom half as well, which revealed she wasn't wearing any pants... Kiran didn't know how to feel about that. But unlike the stranger, her skin was more of a deathly pale than gray. She walked forward, her troops standing readily behind her. And then she began speaking in a voice that was sinister, but not deep. "King of Askr... You stand in defiance of the goddess of death... Surely you comprehend the implications of this gesture...?" Gustav stood uncompromisingly by his men. "Do not speak to me of what I already know. To whom am I speaking, witch?" The woman sighed and closed her eyes. "So you know the outcome, and yet you still believe in salvation? How curious..."

She then opened her eyes. A touch of emotional detachment in them. "I am the one who's name was once known far too well by your kingdom. For I am Thrasir." Gustav's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Yes... The first queen of Embla, you hairless canine. I will confess I have grown so disinterested in our petty little power struggle... but I have my orders, and I have no choice but to obey them... So..." she pulled out a spellbook. "Do not take this with any malice..." She then fired a torrent of sharp green wind, blowing a group of soldiers sky high. "Attack!" Gustav ordered as everyone charged in screaming at the army of husks. Kiran stayed close to Alfonse as she summoned Libra for the fight. The armies clashed, their ranks spilling at one another in an attempt to turn the tides. Everyone picked their targets, as they became buried in the sea of life versus death. This was how an actual war was fought. The guy next to you fades out as you focus only on staying alive.

But Kiran was a special case. She knew if she drifted too far from her buddies, nothing would be there to stop a random enemy from rushing her from a blind spot. She felt like a balloon in a tank of puffer fish. Gustav and Thrasir fought each other valiantly somewhere in this madness. Despite Thrasir having the range advantage, Gustav made sure she never got too far away for that to be much of a factor. Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by Libra blocking a burst of ice magic that would've otherwise hit Kiran. "Kiran..." Kiran knew that voice...! She looked to see it was Gunnthra. But she was not herself. Now she was just one of them... Kiran swallowed her surge of heartache. "Oh, why did it have to be her...?" Alfonse, upon seeing the threat tried to lend his sword, but was cut off by a dead Lyon and quickly lost in the swarm of blades. Gunnthra was different than the other heroes from before in that she could talk, but it was clear it required plenty of strain to do so. She didn't bother exerting the effort to force her face to reflect her emotions, as it was firmly stuck in that blank stare of Hel's army.

Libra would have charged at her, but he knew he'd leave Kiran wide open by doing so. "Kiran... cannot control... have to kill me...!" It really hurt having to do that, having to be present when she died once, but at the very least this time she was technically already dead, and Hel would probably revive her again anyway. Libra's hands grew numb from the volley of ice spells. "Can't feel pain... please...! Before I...!" Kiran sucked it up and made the call. "I'll be fine, Libra. Stop her!" Libra looked back just a moment, but he didn't question her. He charged at Gunnthra, Kiran trying to keep her eyes on what she was up to, but also on any threats that could be mere feet away. It was obvious Hel knew Kiran cared about her, and sent her in specifically so she would get choked up and fall to her hand. But Gunnthra wouldn't want to be used as a weapon against her friends, and so there was little incentive to hold back.

Libra capitalized on the chaos around him, trying to find a method of attack Gunnthra wouldn't see coming. Gunnthra's voice shook. "My body... preparing an attack...!" Libra took the warning and ducked out of the way as Gunnthra blasted a whirlwind of ice out of her hand, Libra seeing his chance as he pushed Gunnthra backwards, knocking her backwards straight into an enemy lancer's missed attack. "May Naga find you, fair maiden!" He then finished her by slashing his axe into her chest as well, a look of gratitude on her face just before she faded away. "Thank you... Kir..." she was gone again. Kiran didn't like seeing that happen at all, but it's what she wanted. Meanwhile, Gustav looked down at Thrasir as her mangled and torn body slowly regenerated itself. "You are stubborn... this will only make your demise more painful..." Gustav looked down at her. "You lack faith, Thrasir. Men! We've done enough damage for today. Fall back!"

The army obliged, fleeing now that Thrasir was still recovering. Normally Gustav wasn't into running away, but given how Hel's generals are incapable of dying, it was fair gain. Besides, the objective wasn't to win anyway. This would definitely make some noise and rouse Hel's attention. They fled away from the direction of the castle, knowing Hel wouldn't attack the people at the castle, considering nothing would be gained from it. Today was one of many days they'd spend with the living dead, so Kiran was glad she enjoyed her room while she could, she wouldn't be sleeping in it tonight...

**(Not a lot of battle, but that's alright. If you ask me, I really want Thrasir when they make a summoning event for the forces of Hel. Lif is also up there, but let's face it, Thrasir's my top priority.)**


	24. Cold Eir

**("Life and death appear to be ideal bounds, which I should first break through and pour a torrent of light onto our dark world." -Dr. Victor Frankenstein)**

**At Embla Castle...**

Veronica had decided to put a hold on her little war with Askr after they rescued her from Surtr. She wanted to find herself again, given everything that's happened. She just didn't have the will to continue this senseless bloodshed anymore. If her people would just wake up and move on, she'd happily put all this behind them. But the thing about people is that some are stuck in routine for routine's sake. It was like the short story of 'the lottery' where they take part in an action they know is wrong strictly because it's familiar to them. But no. Not this time. Veronica was starting to get fed up with taking shots from people who didn't care about their own nation's well-being or her at all. Even so, she wasn't just gonna hang up her crown. There was still one thing she had to try. If she could get them to listen to her, even for a moment, maybe she could change things. But she wanted a plan first. A way to go about this without losing her position of influence to get her point across in the first place.

And it was in one of these moments of contemplation that she was reminded of the existence of the very last person she wanted to see. Xander walked up to her, Loki in handcuffs at his side. "Not exactly my idea of friendship bracelets, but you do you, sweetums." Seeing that face opened up a ton of old wounds. "You...!" Xander then explained. "We found her loitering outside the castle. I knew you'd want to decide her punishment, milady." Loki innocently smiled as Xander held onto her arm. "Gee, what a tough crowd you hang with these days. I came here to check up on you, make sure everything was hunky dory." Veronica slid off her throne and found a rising anger in her. "I should have you chained to a mountain and fed to the vultures. You'd better explain yourself this instant or I garuntee you it will be the last decision you make." Loki dawned an exaggerated pout.

"Relax, shortstack. I've always been there for you. I convinced Surtr to spare you back at Nifl, and I even turned on him to help you. That's what besties do, right? I even came with a gift. I made a lovebug-pig just for you." Veronica squinted her eyes. "A... what...?" Loki then summoned a pig that was horrifically spliced together with another. Veronica immediately shielded her eyes. "Ogh, that is the most _repulsive _thing I have ever _SEEN!" _Loki frowned. "I mean, I at the very least thought twice the pork would be twice the delicious... but I guess I didn't factor in the poor vegetarians. Oh well." She then fried the misappropriation of nature into ash with her fire magic, thankfully saving Veronica from such a sight any further. "Xander, put her under the guillotine, and do it before I have to listen to this hogwash any further!" Xander then proceeded to drag her away. "I thought we had something, deary... and here I was about to mention Kiran was in danger." Veronica flinched at that small tidbit. "Wait, Xander... What are you talking about, snake?"

Loki's fiesty smile returned. "Oh yeah, didn't I mention? Hel has invaded Askr, and Kiran has no choice but to join in the fray. A regular average girl fighting against the undead? I don't know how long even her brain will last out against such odds." Veronica stood off her throne and approached her. "How do I know you're not lying to me?" Loki then surprised them by fazing her wrists straight through her handcuffs. "Would i lie to my bff? Come on, we were almost at the phase where we have sleepovers and do each other's makeup and talk about how total adorbs boys are. But if you wanna waste precious time deciphering my honesty, then go ahead. Not my problem." Veronica held her hand out. Groaning under her breath. "Fine, you've won yourself a few more days, maggot. Xander, gather the troops. And get someone to watch Loki at all times. I don't want her backstabbing us a second time." Loki knew she had Veronica wrapped around her finger. She was just too easy. "I swear on my mortal soul you'll be glad you trusted me."

**Back with the Askran army...**

Kiran felt something or someone in the air. She awoke at camp to see some sort of light glowing outside her tent. She doubted anyone was awake yet, so she didn't know what it could be. Grabbing Breidablik, in case she needed it, she walked outside and saw a strange woman radiating that light. It was Thorr. Kiran didn't know who she was, but she felt she could trust her. "Who are you?" She asked. Thorr turned to her. "I am Thorr, little one. I apologize for the sudden arrival, but I felt it necessary that we talk." Kiran lowered Breidablik. "About what?" Thorr approached her, light still flowing across her skin. "About this war. About you. Many things, really. Hel does not attack a kingdom unless they pose a threat to the natural order." Kiran folded her arms. "But we wouldn't do something like that... not on purpose." Thorr smiled. "Yes. I know you wouldn't. I have watched you for some time now, and I can say that I couldn't have asked for better. I have guided you from the sidelines, for guidance is my occupation as a goddess."

Kiran was intrigued. "You're a goddess?" She nodded. "Indeed. But I am also the cause of many of these problems. I'm sure you can recall Loki. She and I, we are unfortunately... related. I feel that Hel's attack may be the result of her handiwork. Given my station, I have tried to reason with Hel, but she refuses to discuss her motivations. As she is a divine being like myself, she cannot be struck down. So I decided that if she would not listen to reason, I would find another way to make her stop. And that way is you." Kiran considered her words. "How do you think we can stop this?" Thorr pulled Kiran's hood back. "I'm afraid I don't know either. You cannot kill Hel, but you can beat her so hard she'll hear what you have to say. How to go about that without dying yourself is the real puzzle. I'll try to look into the matter. For now, just be cautious. It won't be long until Loki discovers this little alliance of ours. I must be going. Best of luck, young one." Kiran waved goodbye as she faded into light.

Later that day when the army was awake, wonderful news had arrived from their scouts: the princess of Hel, a strangely beautiful looking woman, was out with the rest of the army. It looked like a convenient opportunity... almost too convenient. Since the Askran knew they were the hunted and not the hunter, they could use this time to set up traps and such. If they could capture the princess, she might know some valuable information that they could use. Kiran was thinking about telling her friends about Thorr, but that could wait for later. The logical thing to do was to know the enemy: they already knew Thrasir was among their ranks, but she didn't see her in action that much, so sadly there wasn't anything she could use there. Then she remembered the stranger. If the princess was there, it was to be expected their greatest fighters would also be present. And he happens to be a sword user. At the very least, that meant she knew summoning a lance hero was the best option. And Kiran had just the dame for the job.

After a while, Black mist became visible in the horizon. It was time... In the undead flesh, there she was. Hel. Marching in along with her troops. She was in no way comparable to a Røkkr, but she was very tall compared to a regular person. What appeared to be the princess at her side riding a black pegasus creature with a spooky blue glow to it. She wore a black and white dress like her mother, and shared her gray hair and pale skin, but she actually looked very much alive. No exposed bones, no creepy red eyes, she actually looked like a perfectly normal woman. At their side was Thrasir and the stranger. The forest provided excellent cover for Askr's hiding troops. "I know you're here somewhere, Askrans... Cease your running, and I shall make this quick and painless..." Hel cold declared into the open. The stranger then gasped as if he just remembered something, but before he could follow through, a tree trunk tied to other branches by vines came swinging towards him, smashing him against another tree!

"Now!" Gustav shouted, and within seconds all of the hiding soldiers of Askr leaped from the tree tops and dog piled on Hel's forces, mostly Hel herself. "Ambush!" Thrasir shouted, as she blasted away at the flood of warriors closing in from all directions. Hel only seemed annoyed at the sudden attack, easily slicing the souls out of anyone bold enough to get too close. "Do not let them distract you. Your targets are the same." The princess nodded and flew over the mass of fighters. That's when she realized something. "Mother! None of our opponents are here." Hel growled. "Cowards. They cannot be far. Find them!" Hel continues fighting off the siege while her commanders leaped and flew away from the action in search of the order of heroes.

**Not far from there...**

Gustav stood patiently with the order, hundreds of archers holding their fire arrows at the ready. Gustav looked down at his axe. "They're a brave few keeping our main threat busy. Let us be certain we do our part." The silence made waiting feel more tense than it otherwise would be. Kiran had already summoned Azura for the coming battle, knowing that even if she perished at the hands of Hel herself, she would just appear good as new back at the castle. Azura looked over at her summoner. "Something the matter, Kiran?" Kiran swallowed. "Just nervous. But I imagine everyone is." They heard something in the distance. "Steady!" Gustav commanded. After a few seconds, the princess broke out over the trees as Thrasir and the stranger dived down from either sides. "Fire!" All of the archers launched their barrage of flaming death at the three generals.

"Submit, Askrans!" Thrasir roared, as she summoned a huge green tornado to blow away the assault, and everyone rushed to avoid getting caught in the winds. Askran soldiers and arrows rained down from above as the order of heroes came in for their shot in the limelight. Alfonse and Gustav fought the stranger, Anna and Sharena took on Thrasir, and Henriette and Kiran had the honor of capturing the princess. The stranger was merciless in his blows, directing most of his attacks at Gustav. "I shall prove to you my worth, filthy king of Askr!" He vaulted over Gustav's shoulder as both the royals attacked where he just was. He struck upwards with all his might, blowing Gustav backwards, but not off his feet as he skid to a stop. "Why do you hold me with such disgust, general of the dead?"

The stranger shook his fist at him, as if he was angered he didn't know. "Do you not recognize me, you hairless pug? I am Lif. First king of Askr. And to say you've trod my kingdom through the mire would be an understatement!" Alfonse pointed his sword at him. "I'll have you know that he's a great man! And if you cannot see that, it's because you're a sad and bitter man!" Lif responded by rushing him with his blade. "No, brat! I am simply not blinded by things like bonds!" The might of his attack forced Alfonse to the ground, but he still defended with his sword. "If this is how you truly feel, then you should have stayed dead." Lif kicked him in the neck and intended to follow up with a beheading slice, but Alfonse tackled him over, knocking his aim off the mark. Alfonse then climbed on top of him, swatting his sword out of his hand before punching him in the face over and over again. "I know why... I've managed to provoke such... aggression in you. It's-" but he was cut off by Gustav chopping his neck almost clean off. "First rule of war. Don't let yourself be distracted." Alfonse stood back up as the two kept slicing him so he couldn't regenerate just yet.

Thrasir kept things tricky by constantly ringing out gusts of razor sharp wind magic to keep her attackers from getting too comfortable. Anna slammed her axe down on Thrasir, who attempted to catch it with her hand only for it to split through it. "I'll give you guys one thing, your pain tolerance is admirable." Anna joked. Thrasir groaned as she used her other hand to knock Anna's axe sky high. She then blew Anna back into a tree, rippling through her armor in the process. "Must you idiots be so unwilling to shut up?" She narrowly sidestepped Sharena's lance as she grabbed it, and used it to fling the Askran princess into the dirt. She looked back at her hand to see it was still mending itself, but her split-second distraction was enough for Sharena to push her lance through where Thrasir's heart would be... for some strange, but appreciated reason they had no innards other than bones.

Thrasir hissed at Sharena. "Irritating little pest." She aimed her hand at her to hit her point blank, but Sharena saw an opportunity to defend herself and jumped to her feed, pushing her lance the rest of the way through Thrasir, and then grabbing her wrist to point her attack back at herself. Her spine snapping from the unexpected reversal, Thrasir couldn't hold herself upright and Sharena used her as a human shield against Anna's axe, which had finally come back down, cutting her arm clean off. "Was that enough quiet for you?" Sharena taunted as Anna rejoined her, and they kept inflicting injuries on Thrasir.

Finally, Kiran had Azura ready to go, and Henriette had her spellbook. The princess looked at them with a vacant expression. Her voice revealed to be the same upon speaking. "You are so full of life... such a shame it has to be this way. I am Eir. Show me what you can do..." she drew out two daggers, clearly meant to be thrown as they would otherwise be a poor weapon on a mount. "Askr will not fall to Hel. Let this be a lesson to her of that." Kiran announced as Azura did her thing. Eir threw her daggers, possessing the ability to spawn more once she was out. Azura twirled out of the way of the attack and proceeded to attack the pegasus. "My cousin once had to deal with someone like you. Someone who was unfortunately close to me." She stuck her lance in the pegasus, not wanting to hurt animals, but she had no choice. Henriette then used her magic to knock Eir off the winged animal and onto the grass below.

"Death can be ironic sometimes... you were unlucky." She used her daggers to combat Azura up close, at a huge disadvantage given how tiny her daggers were. "Well, luck is not on _your _side today, Princess Eir!" Henriette shouted, being careful as to not hit Azura. Eir quickly realized she wasn't gonna win this, and so raced over to Kiran to get a free hit on her. "Kiran!" Her allies shouted, but the gap between them wasn't long enough to turn and run, just as Eir was about to land her attack, she stopped. "Wait... you look... who are you?" That moment of hesitation was all Henriette needed to blast her to the ground, Azura rushed over and kept her pinned down with her lance as Henriette pointed her palm at her from afar. Eir then shouted. "Lif, Thrasir, withdraw our forces and retreat!" Thrasir got up as fast as she could to let her body heal and she staggered away, obeying her commander. But Lif seemed more stubborn. "Have you taken leave of your senses!? No!" He used his sword to hold himself upright on his knees.

But their conversation was interrupted by a huge figure appearing out of nowhere and grabbing Alfonse by the wrist. Hoisting him up off the ground a foot or two so she could look him dead in the eyes. "You think you've won, little prince? Like father like son, I suppose. Lif, our forces have already fled. I suggest you do the same." Hel declared, looking horrifying up close where her size could really be emphasized. "She's... huge!" Kiran gasped, frozen in fear. Lif looked up at Hel, stumbling to his feet. "But Eir-" Hel cut him off. "It wasn't a question, welp. It was a demand." Her voice housing some hostility to tell him she meant it. Lif paused. "...Yes, milady..." and he ran just like Thrasir before him. Hel returned her attention to Alfonse, as the order desperately attacked her to make her drop him, but to no avail. "And as for you, boy... I will be back when tomorrow's sun goes down. Best appreciate your time left..." she practically crushed his arm as a gust of black magic flew into his body.

She carelessly dropped him, Henriette and Sharena catching him. "What... did you just do!?" Alfonse asked, not feeling any different from before aside from feeling slightly colder. Hel lazily tilted her head at him. "Death comes for us all..." and she faded into darkness before them, leaving the Askrans with a prisoner, but at what cost...?

**(As a bit of a side note, that pig thing was actually inspired by a weird dream I had last night. I was understandably grossed out by the image, but then I thought to myself, _"Hey, that looks like something Loki would find funny." _Ah, dreams. Even when they make no sense, they still give inspiration.)**


	25. Shared cause

**(Since we're in the Hel Saga, I suppose it'd only be fitting to add my own philosophy on death. In my opinion, it's not some final destination, but the end of an era, no different than the multiple stages of this story. As for what that next step is...? Well, no one knows.)**

With Hel gone, it was a good time for a breather. Morale was steadily dropping as the days went by. Upon seeing that Alfonse was unharmed in any way, they tried to discern the implications of Hel's words. That's when Kiran got an idea. She summoned Tharja despite her very... unstable nature. "What do you want?" Tharja groaned, not even trying to hide her disinterest. She then seemed to notice something in the air, and looked to Alfonse. "Oh. I think I know." Tharja held her open palm out as her hand and Alfonse started glowing with a sinister purple aura. "Hmmhmmhmm... I don't know who you angered to get this, but they really are a genius..." Henriette approached her. "So it's a hex? Can you remove it?" Tharja folded her arms. "No. The curse seems to have seethed into his very skin. What I can say is that it's a silent curse, meaning it only takes effect in a certain amount of time. In this case, I think you can guess what will happen when that time is up."

The realization was shaking, that Alfonse could die by tomorrow's sundown... Sharena asked an innocent question. "You haven't used that kind of hex on someone else before, have you, Tharja?" Tharja's long pause afterwards gave her her answer. "There must be something we can do, right?" Kiran asked. "There is... You need to find the caster and strike them down before the curse takes effect." That created problems from start. Kiran remembered Thorr telling her Hel can't die. "Then we'll need to find her again!" Henriette noted. Gustav nodded, but then turned his attention to the now captured Eir. "You there. Tell us anything you know about Hel, or so help me you'll regret it!" Eir trembled before him. "I-I'm afraid I don't know much. But I believe she's actually afraid of you all. I thought that meant you had a means of killing her but-" Eir suddenly felt a surge of sadness as she started bawling her eyes out. She didn't even know why she was crying.

"Pathetic. Hel doesn't even care we have her. All this was for nothing..." Alfonse hung his head in shame. "I'm so sorry... I let my guard down." Gustav put his hand on his shoulder. "No, it was I who failed to protect you." He turned to his wife. "Darling, help the medics heal anyone wounded. After we've gotten everyone back in shape, we'll go searching for Hel again." She went along with the order, and ran of to aid the rest of the army. Everyone was worried about Alfonse, but Alfonse tried to get his mind off of what had happened today by investigating Eir. "What should we do with her? We can't just leave her here." Eir wiped her tears. Trying to form a coherent sentence as her little tear attack dissipated. Gustav thought about it long and hard. "Hmm... you're right. At the same time, it would be a hindrance dragging her around with us..." Eir got to her feet. "I could fight for you... I'm n-not very good at fighting, but...!" Gustav seemed angered at the proposition. "Out of the question. Do you think we're stupid?"

Eir avoided eye contact out of shame for contributing in her mother's curse. "Not at all... I'm saying that... I..." Sharena walked up to her. "Father, it's fine. We could keep an eye on her just in case. It's not like she really has that deep of a bond with Hel anyway. Everyone else has been pulling their weight, so why not I watch her?" Gustav raised an eyebrow. "You do know what you're suggesting, don't you Sharena?" She nodded. "Heheh... does my heart good to see the Askr royal line is still as promising as ever. Very well. You may take this responsibility. I must be off to keep our ranks in high spirits." He then left as well. Sharena used one of Eir's daggers to cut her restraints. Eir was surprised they'd make a choice like this. "I thank you for your generosity... may I ask for your name? Doh, s-sorry! I mean, only if you want to share it with me." Sharena just Hel's her hands. "Sharena." After letting go, Eir pressed her pointer fingers against one another. "'_Sharena...' _I like that name..."

After that ordeal, everyone sat in the mess hall to talk things out. Eir choosing not to sit, but rather stand there awkwardly as she didn't believe she had earned the privilege to sit by them. They all traded theories on how to break the curse before it was too late, but like a rant from Jack Thompson, they only succeeded in using up their precious time, not getting anywhere close to a solution. So they decided to discuss other things to keep them occupied. Kiran decided this was the perfect time to bring up Thorr. "So this morning I met a woman whom claims to be related to Loki. Someone who also said she was a goddess. Her name was Thorr. I know it sounds crazy, but I think she can help..." she noticed the expression Alfonse and Sharena had. "Something amiss?" Sharena tugged at her collar while Alfonse explained. "We actually met her once. In a dream. She saved us from Tether." That did make sense. Tether was Loki's pet. It would probably attract Thorr's attention.

Henriette raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You two never told me about that." Sharena twirled her hair. "I guess it just never crossed my mind when writing." Anna faced Eir. "You can sit down, you know." Eir didn't respond, but sat down on the floor. Everyone sat there awkwardly. "Erm... she means at the table, Eir. You can sit between her and Kiran." Henriette explained. Eir then stood and took her spot at the table. She looked at the hooded tactician. "That's your name? Kiran?" Kiran nodded. "I remember mother talking about you... she didn't have many pleasant things to say. B-but you seem like a nice person... I think..." It was clear she had plenty of getting used to ahead of her...

**Later that day, elsewhere...**

Veronica, Xander, and Loki were all on their search for the order of heroes. Knowing Loki was not to be trusted, Veronica made sure that she didn't have her scepter. Night had fallen, and the moon was shining high above. An owl hooted as they marched through the sea of trees. "-And there was this one time I met this Cia lady. You'd like her. I even modeled my outfit off of her. Such a shame she didn't really have a sense of humor. Those hylians never do." Veronica was one long-winded story away from putting a muzzle on this woman. "You know, I can't help but feel that you're ignoring me. Would it help if I got you another Lilith plushy?" Veronica facepalmed. She thought she told her she saw nothing.

Their march eventually lead them to an opening in the trees. A graveyard out here in the middle of nowhere. It had an eery fog in the air, and the feeling of dread coming from it. "What's a cemetery doing out here?" Xander asked. Veronica went in for a closer look. Many of these graves had the Askr symbol on them. Veronica felt a ping of guilt at this realization. "It appears these were soldiers once..." seeing this brought back plenty of bad memories for her. Back then, everything seemed so black and white. She was just doing what was necessary... or was that just the excuse she had in that war? "We should probably just go around it, milady. We wouldn't want to disturb these fallen warriors." Veronica was about to agree, but then she saw something in the fog...

**(The music "Monster Marsh - Main Theme 2" from Skylanders: Trap Team plays) **It was a silhouette... she couldn't see them exactly, but their outline was clear: a woman in a cloak. One who held a very familiar looking gun-like weapon. "Kiran!?" The figure didn't react. It didn't even seem to hear her. Instead it walked into the fog, fading in the mist. "Follow her. If she's here, the others can't be far." Loki was about to raise an objection. "Hate to burst your bubble-" ...but was instantly silenced by Veronica. "I swear, if you can't put a sock in it for 2 seconds, this place will have a new addition!" Loki played along, and the three of them ran in with a few of their troops, as to avoid accidentally desecrating the gravesite. They slowly walked through the gloomy place, proceeding with caution. This was an ideal place for Hel's forces to stage an trap.

"Whoever may be here, we hail from Embla. We mean you no harm." They made their way to the center of the cemetery to find someone in a white robe laying on a coffin in a nonchalant pose. She was holding a skull in her hand in a manner imitating Hamlet. That's when Veronica realized she'd been tricked. "You're the other one. How dare you show your face here?" Tether slowly sat up straight as one would from lounging the somewhat for a prolonged period of time. She sighed. **"I did not expect an arrival so soon. Have you no respect for this place of rest?" **Veronica wasn't in any mood for a fake out like this. "Answer my question, worm. Your friend here is running my patience through the mud." Tether stood up and carelessly dropped the skull on the cold, unforgiving ground. **"Is it not obvious, princess? This place is a place of sorrow. Of loss. Here I have experimented with my power, and I see I have grown stronger." **Loki finally broke her oath of silence. "Ah, you've learned to harness the negativity of other people too. I'm so proud of you~"

Tether looked at Loki and scowled. **"You do me a disservice in bringing in this moronic creature. I've decided to part myself from her so I could finally be alone, and you go and bring her to my location? Oh well. I suppose it's just fitting that way." **Veronica felt offended. "What do you mean to imply, scum?" Tether rolled her eyes. **"I am not fond of people like you. People who take your forgiveness for granted and then try to guilt-trip you when you wise up as if you owe them everything. Next time you need us to clean up your mess, save us the trouble of having to gaze upon the crime scene you call a face."**Veronica took out her spellbook. "You take that back! Kiran doesn't think that about me!" Tether growled. **"Who are you to force on me what we should or should not feel? Do you have _any _comprehension of how many people tried to pull that garbage on us in our life?" **She raised her Breidablik. **"Now that you have angered me, I demand compensation. The woman. Now."**

But Veronica was not in the mood for cooperation. This _thing _had no respect whatsoever. Loki rolled her eyes. "Are we really doing this 'creation turns on maker' thing? How droll." **(The music "Arkham Assignment (action)" from Lego Batman 2 plays) **Tether summoned Gangrel as her Røkkr. Xander and Veronica charging at the nightmarish foe as it easily sweeper away the few soldiers they had with them. Gangrel's feet trampled over every grave it touched as he thrust his levin sword at Veronica. Veronica used her wind tome to blow herself away from the incoming attack as the sword shot out electricity upon impact. "How are we to defeat this thing!?" She shouted, as she shot attack after attack at its legs. Loki shrugged. "You _could _give me my scepter back." Xander sliced a scar in one of its legs, causing it to fall to one knee. **"I am alone. I've always been. This is my revenge for all you ungrateful gnats who tossed me out!"**

Veronica kept fighting, cutting relatively small scrapes into Tether's warrior. "Just die already!" Xander climbed up its shoulder and gave it a scar across the face before it snatched him in its fist and threw him to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Veronica, not wasting any time, picked up his sword and infused her wind magic into it. "If there is anything left of Kiran inside you, you must see how wrong your rationale is. More destruction isn't gonna make you happy." She sliced out waves of green air magic from Xander's sword. Leaving lasting slashes in the Røkkr as it threw its own sword at her. **"What makes you think you can even begin to understand these feelings!? You're just like the others, and you'll throw me to the waistside when you don't need me anymore." **

Veronica summoned all her strength to fire out a giant green tornado of wind that blew the massive levin sword into the sky, the Røkkr banged its fist down on her as she struggled to hold it back with Xander's sword so they'd both avoid getting crushed the levin sword came back down a second or two later, splitting the Røkkr in half as it faded into red and black smoke. "It's because I've fallen into that trap myself, Tether. Without any positivity in you, all you can hope to understand is pain and betrayal. You're not Kiran, you're just some incomplete animal." Tether roared. **"Shut up... SHUT UP!" **She sprinted at her, punching her square in the nose like Kiran had done in their first battle. Just like before, she fell to the ground hard. "Okay, that's quite enough, dark and moody." Loki blasted her point blank with one of her fire spells, leaving her a burn mark on her face as she fell over, Loki holding onto her hood to prevent her from escaping.

"Keep a better leash on that monster, Loki. She's out of control." Loki smirked as Tether spasmed on the ground in an attempt to get away. "Oh, I know. That's what I like about her. But it appears that she has a few issues that she and I need to work out. But I can't stay mad at her." Tether even tried biting Loki's hand. **"You do not deserve my power!" **Xander got back up and retrieved his sword from Veronica. "My apologies for being so clumsy, milady." Veronica dusted herself off as she stood up. "Don't worry about it. Now then, we've wasted enough time being misled by this pitiful creature. Tether raised an eyebrow. **"'Misled'? What are you talking about?" **Veronica looked down at her. "Pretending to be Kiran back at the gate. Duh. Tether seemed confused. **"You must be hallucinating, _princess._ I recall I was here relaxing on that coffin the whole time."** Somehow they could tell she wasn't lying. But then... who was that person in the fog? Deciding that mystery was irrelevant, they continued their march, with Loki dragging Tether along the ground the whole way. Veronica knowing from that battle she wasn't the person she was.

**(In the end, I think that it's best people just focus on what they can control to some degree: life. Because regardless of what happens after, what you do in life will be your legacy for the future.)**


	26. Burial

**(This story has always revolved around Kiran. She is the main character after all. But the reason the story is so fine-tuned to her is simple: she's a great character. She's multilayered, she's complex, and the issues she tackles feel very much real. And I hope you all can relate to her in some way.)**

They had been marching for hours. Up and down the land in search of Hel, but all they found were her underlings. Time was running out, and it was becoming increasingly clear that their target had no intentions of coming out until that time was up. Gustav groaned to himself after they had slipped away from the hordes of undead once more. There was still half of the day left to searching, but there was no way Hel would come out before the curse took effect! Gustav sliced down a tree in a flash of anger. "What are we supposed to do!? How can we fight such a strict time limit!?" Alfonse and the others had never seen him like this. So controlled by emotions. So... _not him. _"He's panicking. I told you he cares more than you think." Sharena frowned. "Father..." Kiran thought to herself. She believed she might have a sliver of a plan, but she needed the words for it.

"Hel has to be _somewhere. _Eir, do you think you know where she could be in a time like this?" Amazingly everyone was so in-the-moment, they had neglected to consider her inside knowledge. "Yes... but I doubt you would survive the trip." Anna's jaw dropped. "You knew the whole time and didn't say anything!?" Eir flinched, fear growing on her face. "I-I didn't think you'd want my opinion... really though, no one alive has ever gone through without... 'gaining' entry." Gustav overheard to conversation. His anger dissipating. "You mean the gate to Hel?" Eir nodded. Sharena scratched her head. "What's so dangerous about it?" Alfonse was about to explain, but Eir answered for him. "It's guarded by one of mother's more sadistic creations. I've never seen it myself, but it's a monster that has eaten anyone who's tried to cross through without her permission. Mother decided to called it Cassidy."

Alfonse found some hope in this seemingly bleak scenario. "If we must enter her domain to take her down, then so be it. If we survived Surtr, we can probably beat that monster." Eir's pupils shrunk. "You... are you sure about that? No one even knows what its true form is." Gustav nodded. "It's our only chance. Henriette, take the troops and march wherever you please. It may help throw Hel's generals off our trail." Henriette froze. "You want to go in all by yourselves!?" Gustav sighed. "Someone has to maintain order while we're gone. Drastic times call for drastic measures." She looked over at her children. "It's alright, mother. We'll come back as soon as we can. And if it helps, I'll keep writing letters... even if I can't send them where we're going." Sharena reassured. Henriette hugged them. "Just come back safe. All of you." Alfonse had no intention of dying out there. "We will. Be at ease." After saying goodbye to everyone, she and the troops left. It was time to make this gamble work.

The order of heroes marched on. Thankful that atleast Henriette would be safe for the foreseeable future. Soon enough, the sun was starting to set. And they found themselves at the gate of Hel. A cellar-esque structure in the ground. It was a forbidden place that is said to be the entrance to the land known as Hel. Named after its ruler. It was the underworld. Many had met an ironic end here. And Cassidy was down there, just waiting for some poor fool to stumble in and be its next meal. "W-would you like it if I led you? It's a maze of catacombs down there, not to mention really dark..." It did seem like a sound idea. She did know the area better. Everyone readied their weapons for what was to come. "Alright. But remember, no funny business. If you show a hint of disloyalty, you'll regret it." Gustav reminded her. Eir trembled and nodded.

They grabbed some torches from along the walls and entered. True to her description, once they wandered away from the safety of the light above, it was pitch black down here. **(The music "Who Dun It" from A Hat in Time plays) **This place had heebie jeebies written all over it. The walls seemed to be made of skulls, and there was this unsettling sound of what sounded like whispers coming from somewhere in the darkness. Everyone stayed close. With Eir there to lead them, atleast they had a better chance of going the right way. Sharena was especially close to her friends. "Of all the places to be stuck in with a bloodthirsty monster..." Kiran braved forward with the others, but she certainly wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. They came across a 3 way split in the corridor. "So which way do we go, Eir?"

Eir turned to them. "All of them actually lead to the portal to Hel. The problem is Cassidy can hear footsteps very well. Pick the wrong path, and it'll come and find you. But I obviously have no idea where it's wandering now." Alfonse couldn't help but feel dread growing in him. "What do you think, father? What should we do?" Gustav paused. "Less footsteps down one path will probably help in avoiding detection. Let's split up. If any of us bump into this thing, just run as fast as you can." Kiran felt like she had stepped into a horror movie. And you absolutely _DO NOT _split up in a horror movie. But alas, it was the king's decision. "Alfonse, you're with me. Sharena, you go with Eir. Kiran will go with Anna." Everyone went down their respective paths. A sinister feeling in the air.

Eir and Sharena probably had the fastest route to the portal because Eir was present. At the same time though, having just the two of them now was no comforting thought. To break the tense silence, Sharena started a conversation. "So uhh... you come up above often?" Eir sighed. "No. You saw how mother is. All she knows how to do is her job. The gods created her to be unfeeling, because emotions would make her role in the universe harder to perfect." Sharena furrowed her brow. "But you do feel things. Isn't it fair that you get to see others?" Eir shook her head. "Such was clearly not my fate. I was created by magic to serve her, as she couldn't have a child the normal way for obvious reasons." Sharena gasped. "Are you saying you're not real?" She closed her eyes. "That's what I was told. Part of me thinks there may be more... sometimes I feel like I've forgotten. As for what that is that evades me? I don't have a clue."

Sharena faked a smile. "Well, you're real to me. I think that's enough. Maybe if we win this war, who knows? We might have a chance to become frien-" they heard something in the distance. Eir whispered fearfully. "D-did you hear that?" They reluctantly tiptoed forward, as all the air seemed to get sucked out of the room. Then, something flew out of the shadows! "GYAAAAH!" Eir screamed in terror, only to quickly realize it was just a bat. Not the best thing to bump into here, but not really dangerous in any way. Sharena was spooked by it too, but not to such a fine degree. "Geez, how does that thing even survive down here?" She asked. But they didn't get a chance to catch their breath as they heard footsteps. Footsteps that echoed through the catacombs like as if someone was stepping in a shallow puddle. A pair of glowing red eyes appearing down the hall.

"Oh crud! I think it heard your scream!" They heard a gutteral growling sound as the unseen beast sprinted at them. "Then we should take the king's advice!" **(The music "Unforgettable" from Kingdom Hearts 3 plays)** The two of them ran by the monster, not stopping to get a good look at it. Sharena narrowly being missed by its claws. The two of them legged it as Cassidy let out a bone rattling shriek to signify it was mad. The two barreled through the place as they went down crossroad after crossroad. "Princess Eir! Are we going the right way!?" Eir broke into another sobbing fit as she threw her daggers backwards blindly in an attempt to slow Cassidy down. "I don't know! I'm too scared to think!" Cassidy roared at them again, now adding some sort of made-up speech pattern to her threats. **"uoy no reh llemS...! ehs si erehw...!? ikoL... IKOL!!!" **

Eventually they found themselves in a dead end. "Oh nononono! I don't wanna die again! Not like this!" Eir wailed, having a complete emotional breakdown. As Cassidy charged at them, Sharena readied her lance. "Eir, we have to fight or we're both gonna die!" The lantern's light finally cast on the monster to reveal the most hideous abomination they'd ever seen. A black slime monster in the shape of a humanoid with a build of just skin and bone. It had sharp alligator teeth that cut through its gums and pus-filled eyes were that of a snake and had shards of glass in them. Beedy, red, and they could see the veins in it. Its hair was messy, and it had bald spots in its scalp. It had 4 extra arms sprouted from its back, and its clothes were ripped. It looked like it _used _to be a woman by its body composition, even if it was shriveled.

Sharena shot her lance into its mouth, cutting straight through it. But while it did seem to hurt it, it also seemed to enrage it even further. **"ikoL...! em ot siht did ehS...! IKOL...!" **It swiped its sharp claws at Sharena, breaking off some of her armor. Sharena after fast, kicking off the freak of nature and pulling her lance out. Cassidy then tackle its foe and tried to take a bite out of her face! Sharena held her urchin of a mouth as hard as she could without putting her hands close to said flesh shredder of a set of teeth. Though it was made out of some kind of ooze, it still felt solid somewhere under there. Still didn't make it feel any less gross! Sharena steered Cassidy's face away from hers and into the wall behind her as she tried to grab her lance, but Cassidy pulled her back, her other claw looking ready to drive into her delicate skin.

**"I saw ohW...? iuN... abiuN... hgrU! yhW!?yhw t'nac I rebmemer!?" **It looked all over for Sharena, but before it could land a killing blow, a lance cut straight through its stomach. A gruesome end for a gruesome monster. It gurgled and groaned as it tried to summon the strength to keep itself upright. **"ggrrrR... hO... thgir s'taht... semirc ym rof tnemhsinup eht saw sihT... reven ll'l woH... evigroF... lesyM-..." **It then melted into nothingness. Dead. Sharena looked up at her savior. "Eir... that was... wow." Eir looked down at Sharena and helped her up. "I don't know what came over me, I just... felt that I needed to act." Sharena smiled. "Well, you really saved me there. That's why we're friends." Eir paused. "...Friends..." Sharena giggled. "Ah, is that a smile I see on you?" Eir only now realized she indeed was. "Maybe... Now come on, let's go find the others." And so the two princesses went off.

They managed to find their way to the portal. The good news was that everyone was there. The bad news? Hel was there too. "Alfonse!" Sharena yelled from down the hall as Hel had her scythe to him. "Your time is up, princeling... it is time to come with me..." kiran has summoned Duma, and he and Anna were desperately striking at Hel to no effect. They were too late! The sun went down outside! Hel was about to cut him down, but Gustav shouted. "Hel! I propose a trade!" The room went silent as the goddess of death then loomed over the honorable king. "What could you have that I'd want, wretch?" Gustav breathed a sigh of defeat. "Your curse requires a life, yes? Mine shall do. Mine would count for more, as I am the king." Hel thought about it. "You would willingly die for this hairless ape? Have you gone mad from fear?" Alfonse looked up. "Father!?"

Gustav looked contently at Alfonse. "My time was coming anyway, Alfonse. Age catches up with all of us eventually. I'm entrusting Askr to you and your mother. Please tell her I'm sorry I have to do this for her. I know you can win this war." Alfonse raced to his feet. "Father, wait-!" But Hel cur their conversation short. Her scythe took Gustav down in one go. The old man's body collapsing motionless onto the cold floor of this place. "You humans are so emotional. But one less ant is still one less ant. It merely changed the order." She then blew black magic into Alfonse once more. Reapplying the curse. "You won yourself another day. Make it count." Then she vanished. Everyone was glad Alfonse was still alive. But Alfonse walked over to Gustav's body. Falling to his knees. Tears streaming down his face as he buried it in the dead man's chest. "Why...?"


	27. Vacant Sun

**(Now that I think about it, Heroes is actually the perfect kind of game for a writer like me. Enough of a story that I have some guidelines, but plenty of detail that can be filled in with my imagination. I'm thinking my next project will be Kingdom Hearts, or some other lore rich franchise, but we'll see what happens in time.)**

Alfonse was at a loss for words... they were so close, and then this happened. For several minutes, no one knew what to say. Kiran felt she had to do... to _say _something. It was a loss that would not be forgotten, but they didn't have time to mourn. Kiran slowly approached. "The path of a hero is hardly ever an easy one. I know I hardly got to know him, but we're all still here. Take a deep breath, and find yourself again." Alfonse lifted his head up. Still not saying anything. Kiran continued her efforts to comfort him. "Back in my world as a child , I would often open my blinds at night while I was supposed to be asleep and stare out at the stars. I was a lost soul gazing up into the cosmos for some answers to my questions... but here I found that a star's brightness can be enhanced in a black sky. It is struggle that births a hero."

Alfonse stood up and wiped his face. Taking a few sideways glances at his father before getting a hold on himself. "I'm okay now, I'm okay. You're right. A king has to be strong." Kiran shook her head. "Not necessarily. I believe a good ruler is wise, and has faith in others. And themselves." Sharena came forward. "Father saw that in you. So let's keep going." Eir watched the scene before her. She couldn't understand why, but it made her uncomfortable... Anna noticed. "Something on your mind, waterworks?" Eir just wasn't able to trace the origin of this. It's just like when she almost finished off Kiran. Why does she keep feeling these things? "No... nothing."

The gang then approached the spooky purple portal that had lead them here. It looked like a purple variant of Validar's dark barrier. The sounds of ghostly moaning coming from it. "So this is it then? The land of Hel is through here?" Alfonse asked. Eir nodded. "Yes. Though I cannot say for certain if it's safe for living beings to enter. Still, we came all the way here. Too late to turn back now." Alfonse stuck his hand in it. It felt icy cold, but otherwise safe. "Indeed. Well... see you all on the other side. Literally." He jumped in. The rest of the order following suit. Eir being the last to go in. She didn't think she'd be returning home so soon...

**Meanwhile at Castle Askr...**

Henriette was sitting on her throne. Hel's army seeming to have lost interest in chasing her upon learning they'd been dooped. It was worrying that her family was who knows where, and she was here all by herself. It made her mind uneasy. Just then, a knight walked in. "Pardon me, milady. We have some visito-... Princess Veronica. She... wants to speak with you. Should we send her away?" Henriette was surprised the princess of Embla would stop by in a peaceful way like this. "You can let her in. If she's asking permission, I doubt her intentions are foul." The knight nodded and within minutes, the ruler of Embla was standing before her with Xander, Loki, and a still very annoyed Tether. "What brings you here, Veronica."

Veronica tried to seem like her old 'engine of logic' self, so as not to let on she actually cared about the Askrans now. "I have been told that Hel has invaded. I fear this conflict may spread into my domain, so I've decided to aid in the cause." Henriette was touched at the proposal, but quickly noticed Loki. "I believe your story, but why is _she _here? You could've atleast had her wear something less... eccentric." Loki gave a flirtatious smile. "Don't diss it till you try it, lady. Ow!" Xander had clonked her on the head for her rudeness. Veronica sighed. "She is our prisoner. She seems to have valuable insight on the enemy. We would have changed her outfit, but nothing would have fit her anyway." Loki pouted. "Uhh, hurtful." Henriette ignored the siren of Múspell. "Well regardless, I'm glad you're going to help us. I wish I knew how to best put your talents to use, but my husband is the veteran between us, and he's with the order."

Veronica was dumbfounded. "You mean they're not here!?" Henriette frowned. "No. They went to the gate of Hel to try and put an end to this, but they haven't come back yet." Loki once again butted into the conversation. "Oh, then they'll probably have to put up with Cassidy. I still remember when Hel let me decide her punishment. Good times. Good times." Xander shot her a mean look. "I see you're practicing your Garon look." Veronica did well to swallow the spike of frustration she felt rising in her throat. "Then that's where we're going. Xander, as much as I hate to say it, we'll probably need Loki's intel on the enemy." Loki then pulled her scepter out of nowhere. "For a goddess, I get very little respect. But don't worry, you're fun to play with Veronica. I'm at your service." Henriette was a tad confused. "You're going too...? Why?" Veronica knew it was pointless trying to hide her true intentions anymore. "Let's just say, I need to... help a friend." She ran off and Henriette raised her hand to her forehead. "Since when did Hel become so popular?"

**Back in Hel...**

The order of heroes were whisked through a wormhole at incredible speeds, said wormhole being black with swirls of purple, red, and blue. When they finally arrived at the other end, they found themselves in a kingdom that was nothing like they expected. It was a land in the sky, with the grass and trees dead. The sky was unexpectedly blue and cheery. And off in the distance was Hel Castle. A tower sort of structure that was exclusively painted black, and ominously leered over the entire kingdom. At the very tip of it, the sky had ripples in it, like a lake when you throw a stone into it. **(The music "Palace of Twilight Outside" from LOZ: Twilight Princess plays) **"Here we are." Eir announced. The order took a minute to take in the scenes. "Not what I expected... but still, I feel a chill down my spine that I cannot trace the origin of..." Anna observed. Eir thought she'd weigh in. "This is mother's realm. She's probably giving you that feeling as a warning. And that means we'd best move fast before we're spotted." Good plan. Especially since it felt like Hel was everywhere down here. Fitting, as this world is named after her.

Kiran was deep in thought as they hid in one of the ruins. "Clearly running in blindly doesn't work against Hel. If she hasn't all out destroyed us yet, she probably doesn't think we're a threat." Sharena frowned. "You have a point. But Alfonse is gonna die soon, so we can't waste time." Indeed. That was an issue. However, at that moment Kiran got an idea that changes everything. Anna smirked. "I like it when she gets that look in her eyes." Kiran smiled. "I think he'll be just fine. We have plenty of sand in the glass. A general rule of thumb is if you run into resistance, you're on the right path. Eir, is there anything Hel forbid you from doing?" Eir thought about it, but they were interrupted by someone appearing before them. Thrasir. "Yup. Right on time. Ironic how much I learn from this new perspective." Everyone got out their weapons. "Thrasir..." Kiran stated under her breath.

Thrasir looked at her. "You're making a huge mistake. You don't wanna see where this trail ends. I'd like to propose a trade." Alfonse didn't find this hilarious at all. "A trade? Yeah, right. After all this, I doubt that's on the table." Thrasir growled. "It's not for my sake that I'm doing this, knave. I've seen what your future holds. Hand over the summoner, and Hel will call off the war. Countless lives will be spared. This is what I offer." No one trusted her. "Even if I did believe you, the answer is no. You stay out of our affairs." Thrasir didn't seem angry, so much as upset. "You don't understand. I hate it too, but it's the only way! You cannot win, don't you see!?" Alfonse rushed up to her and slashed her across the face. Thrasir not even bothering to try and defend or even move. "No. And I don't want to. Get lost." Thrasir places her now broken jaw back into place. "This is what I get for trying to help..." she then faded away. She didn't summon any heroes, or even antagonize them. She just left.

Eir broke the tension. "Yes, actually... There's a second portal here. One mother told me was off bounds no matter what. I'll confess myself terrified of disobeying her, but there's no way she'll forgive me now." Kiran knew that something Hel wanted under wraps must be there. "Do you know where it is?" Eir nodded. "I think it isn't far... Let's see..." They all ventured out into Hel, and though they had to cut through a hero or two on the way, they found the portal. It looked identical to the one they arrived in. So without hesitation, they jumped in and hoped for the best...

**(Hope you guys enjoyed this. It's a slow burn, but it's worth it to reach the finale.)**


	28. The things they carried

**(What is it that you would define as a good life? Is it determined by success? Fame? Wealth? Maybe from what you accomplish, or what you leave behind. Everyone has their opinion of what they want most. And it's my hope that whatever that may be, that you find it. Because one day, everyone stops to reminisce and they realize they're not there anymore...)**

On the other side of the portal was something the order of heroes didn't anticipate. It looked like Askr. But... that can't be right, can it? It makes little sense for Hel to have two portals to the same place, after all. In addition, this portal wasn't back in the gate of Hel, but rather the yard outside Castle Askr. But something was different. It was snowing here, a very rare occurrence in Askr, which was a shame to Kiran. While she normally liked a blanket of snow outside to remind her of happier times, here it emanated an atmosphere of loss. "Askr? Why are we back here?" Sharena asked. Eir looked around. She could tell this castle wasn't supposed to be so vacant. That tight feeling in her chest returning once more... has she been here before...? Alfonse placed a hand on the front door... it looked quite worn down. "I don't know. Something about this tells me we aren't where we think we are. The castle shouldn't be so quiet. The troops should've returned by now..."

They all went in to warm up, but it barely felt warmer in here. This place looked like an earthquake hit it! Broken and dusty furniture littered the entrance hall, and the walls had cracks in them here and there. Cobwebs were strung about the place, and the stairs looked ready to collapse at the slightest tap of pressure. At the top of said stairs was Lif. He gingerly laid his arm on the guard rail, and it immediately tumbled off the edge, becoming rubble on the bottom floor. **(The music "Dreamseer" by Adrian Von Ziegler plays) **"Even I did not anticipate such recklessness from you fools. Do you lack any sense of self-preservation, or are you just being stubborn?" Lif slowly walked down the stairs as he had his conversation. Alfonse drew his sword. "A blackheart like you wouldn't understand our actions. How did such a beloved king such as you become this?"

Lif closed his eyes like when one is disappointed in their peers. "Nothing you would want to hear, little prince. You and your order exist in a bubble of hedonistic ignorance. I threaten to pop that bubble. So your simplistic mind labels me as evil." He opened his eyes again as his sword sizzled with dark magic in response to his repressed anger. "Idiots. Morons. _Im-be-ciles! _What I have offered you all along is the mercy of a swift exit! Quick and painless! But you deny me even that." He tilts his head as his eyes contort in fury. "Here in this land of the lost, I shall grant you all the gift of eternal slumber! Until the time has come to rise again, you will all live in the blissful rejection of reality you crave so much!" He then raises his hand up as three heroes rise from the ground. Fernand, his body scorched by flames. Ryoma, his chest having a nasty burn mark and hole in it, and Emmeryn, her body wrapped in black bandages to make her resemble a mummy. No doubt Gangrel's choice of final mockery after her death.

"Get ready to fight, guys!" Kiran declared, firing out... Fjorm!? Lif was stunned at this turn of events. "How did you do that!? She's not a hero!" Fjorm pointed her lance at him. "Wrong. Our victory over Surtr, and my vow to Kiran's service seems to have earned me this title. Afraid?" Lif raced towards her. "I fear NO ONE, woman! How you runts continue to force my hand!" The two of them clashed, and the battle was on! Eir and Sharena teamed up against Emmeryn, Alfonse took Ryoma, and Anna rushed Fernand. Alfonse was careful around Ryoma. While not as dangerous as Lif, the thought of a lightning sword against his conductive human flesh was not a pleasant thing to consider. Fortunately, his foe inevitably had to hold back his full power to avoid bringing the castle down on top of them.

Anna and Fernand traded blows, as Anna found herself in the mood for a talk even though she knew he couldn't respond. "So word on the street is you serve... uhm _served _Lord Berkut. Think you would be interested in some merchandise? You could sign under his name. He's rich! I doubt he'd notice." But just as expected, Fernand didn't react. That said, being dead has apparently caused him to forget about protecting his horse, and so Anna easily took out the animal. Technically it was already dead, so she couldn't be held responsible for animal cruelty. Fernand leaped off of his horse as it faded and thrust his lance at Anna. She just barely ducked under it, it almost touched her nose. Meanwhile, Sharena and Eir made a surprisingly good team in fighting off Emmeryn. "So sorry we have to do this, milady..." Sharena apologized, before ramming her lance through the late ruler of Ylisse. Emmeryn responded by shooting magic out at them that tore apart the marble floor as it flew. She then retrieved the lance from her gut and made use of it as well. Her new mummified look making her red eyes extra creepy.

Sharena was now left without a weapon. "Uhh... we have a situation here." Fjorm herself was struggling against Lif. Her ice powers had no effect on him at all, considering he didn't feel temperature. "You don't say!" As she blocked his aggressive sword strikes. But just as things looked like they were getting bad, Anna took down Fernand, evening the odds a bit in their favor. Lif was like an angry hornet with that sword of his. Mercilessly striking at Fjorm and ignoring any injuries she dealt to him, and that probably would've been true even if he could feel pain. "This is not your fight, queen of Nifl! I recall you avoided involvement in this war to build your own kingdom back up!" He kicked her in the stomach to knock the wind out of her as he used the opening to disarm her. As he quickly slashed at her for a quick slice, she grabbed his arm mid-way and threw it over her shoulder with the rest of him in tow. "It's just one battle or two. It's not like I'll actually be here long. And for that matter, how do you know about the affairs of my kingdom?" Fjorm used her ice magic to freeze his limbs to the ground while she retrieved her lance.

As she did, she noticed Sharena and Eir were barely keeping up with the blackwrapped Emmeryn, and so she threw her lance like a javelin, cutting straight through Emmeryn's already damaged body. Sharena used this as her chance to take back her lance as Eir finished her off with her daggers. Her body fading to dust and her bandages falling to the floor. With Anna and Alfonse finished dispatching Ryoma, everyone was fighting Lif at once! His futile attempts to defend himself falling short as he was quickly ripped apart like a horrific cheese grater accident. His body in no condition to keep fighting, he finally got a hold on himself again and calmed down. "Heh... heheh... You wouldn't want to know. You think you do, intoxicated by the quest a truth you cannot comprehend, but it will only bring you pain..." Alfonse couldn't help but pity the has-been of a king. It seems he did not chose this path, so much as he did him. "No need to be such a tantrum girl about it, Lif. Just tell us what you know. Maybe we can help." Lif didn't seem convinced at all. "I can't do that, Sharena..." Sharena sighed. "Can't or won't?" Lif groaned to himself. "Thrasir. Take me away from this place..." Just like that, he was gone.

With that battle behind them, it made perfect sense to check out the library and see if there was anything on what happened here. The rest of the castle was equally aged. A fallen chandelier or two would be found on the floor. Paintings here had scary looking slashes in them, as if someone was trying to destroy them on purpose. Kiran inspected one of them. Since some of them were hung rather high up, Hel's scythe was the most likely culprit here. Eir looked just as devastated to see such a horrible mess that what this undoubtably once nice place was. Eir started to think about it... it felt like an itch that she just couldn't scratch. This felt so familiar. Why? If Lif told mother she was here, she'd... Eir came to a shocking revelation. For once in her life, she actually thought disobeying her might be worth it in the end. This had never happened to her before. Then there was Lif. Was he trying to hide something from her? Maybe he just wouldn't have wanted to talk about it before, but he knows much more about this world than he ever lead on. But would he really do that to her...? He may be gruff and uncaring on the outside, but he's always told her on an almost daily basis that he'd protect her. Unless... was it something here that he wanted to protect her from? Maybe whatever mother was keeping in secret here would be too dangerous for her to be near either. She had made up her mind. She was getting to the bottom of this.

Once they reached the library, it was rather difficult to find a book that'd be useful. Because like everything else here, the library was a mess. Books lying everywhere, and their shelves had been carelessly pushed over. This had to be the place. Something was here that Hel didn't want anyone finding. "It's clear our foes aren't gonna make anything easy for us. Looks like we'll have to start organizing." Sharena pouted. "Are we really gonna look through all this? This'll take forever!" Kiran pulled her hood back. "Well, like I said. Resistance is a good indicator we're on the right track... don't worry, I'll summon Jakob to help." So they started the slow process of wading through all these books. This was gonna take a while...

**(And no, that last line isn't some inside joke on me intending to take longer in making the next chapter. I'll try my best to get it done, don't you all worry about that. If any of you are curious about what music I'd use for this rundown Castle Askr, I actually have a track from an old game from my first years as a gamer. Namely, "Soundtrack - 02" from Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse. I just didn't include it in the text above because A) That's a real mouthful of a title, and B) I doubt many of you would look up a Mickey Mouse game for a fanfic.)**


	29. Tells no tale

**(Has anyone noticed how Iago gets his own class name wrong? In his intro cutscene, he announces himself as "The Dread Mage, Iago". But as you guys may know, there's no such thing as a dread mage. There's a dread _fighter,_ but not a dread mage. For that matter, Iago isn't even a mage, he's a sorcerer. How can he fail at something so basic?)**

It took plenty of time and effort to wade through all these dusty old books in search of something useful. It was long and tedious, something that beat fighting for their lives, but it was by no means a fun way to spend a few hours. Kiran, being the most fond of napping, had thought about sneaking in a quick bit of shut eye during this process, but she didn't want to snooze while her friends slaved away. "Uggghhh. If I stumble across another recipe book, I think I'm going to scream!" Sharena whined. Eir helped with the chore of shuffling through the books as well, but she took a quick read with some of them that looked interesting to her. Eir read a passage from her latest book out loud. "-And so the newly promoted tactician of Múspell told the guards, _'I'm going to put him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death_.'"

A few minutes later, and Alfonse finally found something. "I think this might be what we're looking for. 'The Scythe of Silence.'" Everyone stopped shoveling through this dusty old library and gathered around Alfonse as he started reading it. Skimming through the pages until he got to something useful. "Hmm... '_Hel invaded the land... Askran army launched their retaliation...' _This book is a record of everything we've done so far!" Finally, something that could explain what this world was. "Is there anything noteworthy in it?" Eir asked. Alfonse continued flipping through the pages. "Hmm... _'Went to the gate of Hel... King Gustav had been slain...'_ Are some pages missing...? No. It doesn't mention you or the generals of Hel at all. Only Hel herself." Eir did think that was an odd detail, but then again, she and the others had always been overshadowed by mother. The story had recounted everything they'd accomplished up to now, but strangely there were still plenty of pages left...

Before Alfonse could read the next page though, a sudden gust of wind blew the book from his hand and across the room. Flying into the hand of Thrasir. "I thought I had destroyed all copies of this stupid thing. Looks like I wasn't thorough enough." Everyone drew their weapons again. "Give that back, Thrasir." Sharena commanded, not to pleased about doing all that searching just for her to yoink it away from them. Thrasir turned the book in her hand. Somewhere in that emotionless expression was a hint of sorrow. "Do you want to know that badly what this is? It's a historical article created in part from the contents of Kiran's diary. It is written proof of why your efforts are so inconsequential. Despite your arrogance, I would not rob you of that hope you hold so dear." Eir felt a boost of determination as she joined in the confrontation. "It's not your choice to decide what we want. If it's truly something so horrible, we could figure something out if you just trusted us to." Thrasir paused, lowering her hand.

"Hmm... If you truly believe you can handle what's written in these pages, permit me to arrange a test: beat me and my warriors, and I'll hand the book over. Deal?" Alfonse didn't like her resilience, but atleast she was willing to give them a chance just this once. "Deal." He confidently stated. Thrasir then used her wind magic to blow the book to the side, so it wouldn't be caught in the coming battle. She knew the order always fought fair, and so they wouldn't cheat her by trying to grab it prematurely. Just then, more of Hel's zombie heroes rose from the ground. Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, and... a face that no one was prepared to see. Anna's eyes lit up. "Is that... me!?" The other Anna had the black aura, pale skin, and red eyes customary of Hel's army. That said, her body seemed much less stable than the others. Her body jerked and shook like as if Hel's powers was the only thing holding her together. And unlike her comrades from Fódlan, her face was not the normal glassy stare, but a demented frown that seemed even more creepy.

The order was at a loss for words. "No, it... it has to be one of my sisters, right!?" But Anna felt in her soul that the one hunched over like a goblin there was indeed her. The uniform she was wearing matching her own. Now was not the time for questions, though. Now was the time to fight! **(The music "Vs Bloody Marie" from Skullgirls plays) **Kiran shot out Azura once more, as she barely materialized in time to block Thrasir's deadly wind magic. Anna quickly found herself on the defensive by her other self. Their axes making a clang with every blow. Sharena went toe to toe with Dimitri's lance, his dark side fueling his resolve. "I thought you were chivalrous, Prince Dimitri!" She used her lance to swerve his into the wall. Sparks flying as the point scraped against the stone. If she wasn't busy fighting for her life, she'd wish they had this guy on their side. Edelgard's axe cut through the air fast with each swing, so Alfonse needed to keep a beat with his feet if he didn't want there to be another thing that axe would be cutting. He slammed his sword into the side of her face, leaving a disfiguring gash, but not cutting too much into her. Edelgard took advantage of his sword getting stuck for a split second, and took a swipe under his shoulder, leaving a deep cut as Alfonse retrieved his blade and reeled back to better prepare for her next move.

Eir found herself in a battle of projectiles, dodging the arrow volley Claude was firing her way. This was really gonna be a case of 'death by a thousand cuts' to whoever lost. Claude barely tried moving to avoid her daggers, the many knives not hindering him all that much. "I... I will not lose to you!" She shouted, trying to keep her newfound confidence from faltering. Figuring she needed to get closer, she ran at him. Cutting his arrows out of the air as best she could as they flew her way. Alfonse clutched his wound as he continued to fight the undead empress. He ducked under her axe and tackled her into a pillar. Making her drop her weapon. Just as he did though, the pillar wobbled and the floor it was holding up shook. Edelgard grabbed his face and flung him so that the two switched places, slamming his face into said pillar. The floor above them buckled, and Alfonse used his sword to cut Edelgard straight down up middle, and barreled out of the way as a chunk of the upper floor caved in and crushed Edelgard in a mass of rubble. Only her hand was left sticking out of the pile before dissipating, signaling her defeat.

Eir caught an arrow in her side, but it didn't stop her from slicing Claude with both her daggers at once. Leaving an X shaped scar across his chest. Knowing he wouldn't have the time for readying his bow now that she was up close, Claude grabbed a bunch of his arrows and prepared to jab them into her skin. Eir saw what he was thinking, and tried to charge at him before he could get the chance. She started pulling and re-injecting her daggers into him, but Claude punched her and knocked her off balance, causing her to stumble backwards into a suit of armor. It collapsed on her, leaving a hefty collection of bumps and bruises. Eir tried to think fast, upon shaking the dizziness from her system, and noticed the armor's lance was real. As Claude prepared to fire an arrow through her heart, she chucked the lance at him and to the amazement of both parties, perfectly skewering him through the neck. "Wow..." Eir commented, as her foe fell to his knees and faded to dust.

Azura was warn down quite a lot. Thrasir's regenerative abilities really starting to overtax her stamina. Both fighters standing there panting as Kiran looked on in concern. "I will... not let you hurt her..." Azura said, still not showing any less resolve , despite her circumstances. Thrasir chuckled under her breath. "I know how you feel... But you shouldn't trivialize over factors you cannot control... I stopped believing long ago." She then poured all her strength into one attack as she blew out a mighty gust of wind that blasted Azura off her feet and out the window! "Azura!" Kiran cried, as she was about to turn and check on her, but Thrasir cut her off. "I suggest you do the same. Don't try to fight this, it'll only bring you pain." As Thrasir started forming another burst of magic in her hand, Kiran looked her on with no fear at all. "My friends believe in me. They helped me believe in myself. Win or lose, we do it as a team." Thrasir pointed her palm at her as she became visibly more distraught. "Kiran... don't make this any harder than it needs to be..."

Eir and Alfonse helped Sharena in defeating Dimitri, as Anna and her doppelganger were gasping for breath in exhaustion, being perfectly matched in every way. Eir rushed to Kiran's side as the others aided in stopping the evil Anna. Thrasir groaned to herself as her arm shook. The way she hesitated immediately told Kiran that she wasn't who she claimed to be. "Nng...! Even now, I just... can't! Why!? Why do you have to be so stubborn!?" She threw her hand down and snapped her fingers. The other Anna vanishing, but not because she was defeated. Eir looked on and the others watched as well. Thrasir threw her spellbook on the floor and pulled at her hair in frustration. Kiran walked over to her. "Rage isn't helpful at all when it's directed at innocent people, but it's also not healthy to be mad at yourself." Thrasir swatted her hand away. "Stop getting in my head, fortune cookie. I don't want your hospitality." She shoved the book she stole into Kiran's arms. "Go. You have what you want, now leave me alone." The room went silent as Kiran stood there looking at her.

After a minute, Thrasir caught her breath. Returning from her little emotional outburst. "All I've ever done is fail, Kiran. I failed when I fought for bad, I failed when I fought for good. Does it even matter at this point what I do? Whatever it may be, it'll amount to nothing." Kiran looked her in the eyes. "You're starting to sound like Tether. She's not who you are. And don't let yourself become her. The only person who hasn't forgiven you is yourself. Just think it over, Veronica. For me?" Everyone gasped when they heard Kiran call her by that name. Thrasir sighed. "Heh..." And then she vanished. With her gone, Kiran summoned Maria and healed everyone up. Alfonse couldn't help but ask. "Was that... really Veronica...?" Eir didn't know who Veronica was, but the name sounded familiar. She decided it was best to first discover what secrets this book was hiding. "We may find an explanation in here."

Coming back to reality, Alfonse obliged and read on. As he flipped past the events they'd already experienced, his face started turning white. "What is it, brother?" Sharena asked. Alfonse read to the last page, and then closed it. "So _that's _why she wanted to avoid us reading this... It's all making sense now." He solemnly rose his head to his allies, who were all curious yet fearful of what he had discovered. Alfonse explained. "This world isn't just some fabrication of Hel's... it's the future. The order died. _Askr _died. In this timeline, everyone was wiped out... we lost."

**(Seeing as I've finally caught up with the game so far, I'll be taking the events of the story from this point forward into my own hands. I have a loose idea of what I want to write to fill the gap between now and the final fight with Hel, so let's see if I can keep this undead dilemma interesting until then.)**


	30. Light, dark, and death

**(The mind is a fantastical thing. It can grant you an eye into new things, it can give you a level of understanding in the world, it can even help a lucky few go down in history for their advancements. But sometimes, the mind can be a prison. And endless maze in your own conflicting emotions. Leaving you to stew in your own unhappiness until it grows into something worse...)**

It was a very difficult thing to take in. That all of this was really what had happened when the cards were dealt. Askr was nothing more than a cruel reminder of all that had been lost to death. No one said anything for the longest time, as it started to rain outside. Even the weather seemed to share their newfound gloom. Not knowing what else to do, Alfonse went into further detail. "We tried to fight Hel, but she couldn't be defeated. We were all gravely wounded in the battle, and she was about to take us all out. But Kiran... it says you begged her to spare us and..." everyone could tell by how he trailed off what he was gonna say. "She let us leave broken but alive, in exchange for you. She had you executed by Helbindi..." Sharena started to tear up as Kiran swallowed hard.

He continued. "All hope started to drain away. Your death devastated Askr, and even Veronica herself. In a last ditch effort to win, Embla teamed up with us and found an artifact known as 'the forbidden heart'. It's said to be her one known weakness, by allowing the user to absorb the lives of others. But it comes with the cost of taking a life with every pulse to power itself... and judging by the last few paragraphs, it could only stop if all life in both kingdoms were wiped out. All were consumed by the heart. Me, Sharena, and Veronica were the only ones who lived long enough to face Hel again, but Hel killed Sharena right in front of us. Me and Veronica soon followed..." Eir found this very hard to listen to. She normally didn't feel so crushed by something that sounds so much like her mother... she starts to remember something. She doesn't know how, but she was involved in this world's affairs. Was this what her mother wanted to hide from her? Maybe she was somehow responsible for the forbidden heart. If that's the case, it makes perfect sense Lif wouldn't tell her!

Kiran pulled her hood back. "So this is our future... No. I refuse. We fought too hard to let it end like this! All the people of Askr, Embla too, just laid to waste by a mad goddess!? We can't just accept that!" Anna frowned. "Kiran, I appreciate you're being strong, but it's okay to feel a bit bummed out." Eir hung her head. "Yes... your case is even worse. You're not from our world. If what that book wrote is true, you don't even have an afterlife to look forward to. You'd be reduced to a ghost that exists outside of time and space! In a way, you'd be a lot like me..." the others turned to her. "What...? What do you mean by that?" Sharena hesitantly asked. Eir sighed. "I am not like all of you. You all have a life, and an afterlife. No more, no less. But me? I've been told I have multiple lives in me. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. Mother told me it was this that prompted her to take me in as her own. When it's your purpose to take lives away, seeing one that persists after so many tries would peak your interest..."

Alfonse blinked. "Wait, you're not even related to her?" Eir shook her head. "Mother doesn't love. _Cannot _love. She was not made to feel. Only to perform her duties. But in this timeline, it appears she sees you as a threat to those duties. In preparation for our invasion, she killed me again and again until I had only one life left. When my time is up... I don't know what will become of me. Nor do I want to know..." Sharena couldn't help but feel bad for her. "Don't you want to be loved? Just by one person?" Eir buries her face in her hands. "Before you captured me, I thought love was nothing more than some figment of fiction. But now that I feel it, I... All I can think about is losing it!" She then broke down in tears as Kiran walked over and comforted her. "I've been there myself, Eir. Even now, I still remember how much it stung when we lost Gunnthra. But I found if you let yourself be devoured by that misery, you'll never have a chance to actually make things better." She turned and looked at her friends.

"I'm done sitting down and crying about things that I can't go back and change. It took my friends to get me to that point. But now that we know what went wrong, we can take steps to fix it. And maybe then, when the dust settles we can help you too." Eir timidly looked at her from between her fingers. "You... but you're gonna die. All of you are. Maybe me as well." The others started feeling encouraged by Kiran's words. "Fate is not a straight line, it's a series of paths. Think about Chrom from the shepherds. They knew what the world held in store, but they managed to fight their bleak destiny all the same." Alfonse mentioned. Sharena stepped forward too. "That's right! And what about Corrin and her friends? The split in their timelines proves there's more than one future." Anna smiled at the others. "We're all a band of idiots fighting an unbeatable foe, but it's better than simply submitting to _this._" Eir wiped her tears away. It was moving that they have such an unbreakable spirit. It made her feel something new... it was so strange and foreign, yet at the same time it felt like she had known this before... it was a good feeling.

Eir's face bloomed into a smile. The first smile she had ever dawned in her life. "Heheh... You guys are the best, you know that? Okay. You've never steered me wrong so far. I can only reward you with a little faith of my own." It was great that everyone was back into high spirits, but they once again found themselves at a dead end. The forbidden heart was garunteed to bring them ruin if they used it in their timeline, so they needed something else to bring Hel down. As if to answer their prayers, a certain goddess showed up in a burst of light. "Where did you guys go? I watched from above as you went into Hel and then you suddenly blinked out of existence." Kiran was glad to see her. "Thorr!" Alfonse and Sharena looked at each other, surprised Kiran recognized her. Anna meanwhile, scratched her head. "Did you guys go on some adventure without me?" The two of them gave her the general gist of how they met. "Well, I suppose it ultimately doesn't matter. I have wonderful news: when I found you all in this timeline, it occurred to me that here in this world i had created a means of defeating Hel. I apologize I didn't remember it sooner, sometimes it's hard keeping track of so much of this..."

Alfonse raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean the forbidden heart? It led to our demise in this Askr." Thorr flinched at the name, knowing something about the cursed artifact. "Heavens, no. I had set to work on a weapon that could actually hurt Hel. Not only that, but enough strikes upon one of her undead minions would free them from her command. I remember in this timeline I was so distracted in finishing it, that i came too late to stop you all from using the forbidden heart." Eir shyly spoke up. "Um... excuse me, miss... Thorr? You know what happened to this Askr. Please tell me you know something about me. I'm beginning to think I'm... not who I was told I am." Thorr was surprised to see her, but she smiled. "You may be closer to the answer than you think. If you wish in your heart to uncover the truth, you will not need me to find it. Believe in yourself, as you once did." Eir wasn't fond of the cryptic answer, but she decided she'd trust her words.

"So what did you make, Thorr?" Kiran asked, bringing them back on topic. "Oh, yes. I had forged a blade by fusing the falchions of every world that had one. The result was a brimming blade of pure light. To prevent Hel from finding it, i hid it away in a shrine that could not be breached by god or mortal with evil intent. Within its walls, a trial shall test if you possess the strength to wield it properly. I named this mighty sword, Soraka." Everyone rejoiced at the thought. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Sharena cheered. Thorr sighed. "Unfortunately, Hel has caught wind of it. She's sending her best troops to guard the shrine. On top of that, I cannot help. Loki is on your trail, and she has tricked Veronica into going with her. The princess isn't aware Loki could kill her at any moment if she pleased. As such, I must monitor the situation to ensure her safety." Yeah, that was a good point. "We'll see to it we retrieve Soraka, Thorr. Then we'll make Hel fix all of this."

Thorr was grateful. She was about to turn and leave, when she saw Breidablik in Kiran's hand. "Heh. Been a while since I've seen this thing..." Kiran was curious. "You know about Breidablik?" Thorr chuckled. "Of course I do, little one. I'm the one who MADE that thing in the first place." Everyone gasped in shock, at a loss for words. "No way!" Sharena shouted, her mouth agape. Thorr then started to glow. "Best of luck, all of you. I will always be watching..." and in a burst of light, she vanished, leaving a map to the shrine of light in their care. Finally, they had a clear objective in taking down Hel. Leaving this old place behind them, they all marched off to the direction of the shrine. Kiran decided to summon Azura for the trip. She wanted to finally get something off her chest. But there was one thing that nagged at her. She didn't know when or how, but the number 7 was stuck in her head. And some strange words: ..._finding her inside joke funny, as her heart had been vacant for years._

**(Good news, summoners: I think I've got my plan for the remaining chapters all figured out! Just gotta tie up some loose threads in the buildup to the final confrontation with Hel, and the stage should be set for the grand finale! Now it's only a matter of finding the time and motivation to write it all. But don't fear, I'll keep up with my regular interval.)**


	31. Under the mask

**(I felt so betrayed on that tragic day, so long ago... I had put my heart and soul into making the world I had crafted flourish. I had nurtured it into something that my fellow overseers would find such joy in. Everything changed so quickly... My fellow gods stole my masterpiece from me, and tossed me out without a hint of hesitation. It's because of this divide between us that Loki was made. _All of us _are to blame. Let's just hope it's not too late for redemption. -???)**

The sun was setting in the distance as they walked through this destroyed land to their destination. Eir actually looked pretty relaxed. A far cry from the nervous spike of stress that she usually was. Kiran walked along with the rest of the order. She hardly ever wore her hood anymore. And she was beginning to think. Hel was behind Surtr's second war, and Veronica has become a much more outwardly happy, and kind person. It was funny that after all this, she never did think about the concept of going back home. Probably because she didn't think there'd even be a way to go back. But Thorr is a goddess, right? If after this, there'd be no other opponent to fight, would she even want to go back? She didn't know how her time here translated to time in her world, but her parents were probably worried sick about her, having disappeared off the face of the earth and all. She knew she had the strength to face her old life again, but... would she be okay with saying goodbye to her friends? They did just as much for her, as she did them. Like when she had to chose between her family, there are just some choices with no clear or correct answer.

Azura nudged Kiran to get her attention. "Sorry if this sounds rude, but why did you summon me? Normally you only bring us to you when you need our strength at that very moment." Kiran was then snapped back to reality. Remembering she wanted to come clean to Azura. "It's fine... I erm... Maybe you've noticed you've become my favorite. I don't normally show such bias towards someone, but when I watch you out there you're so... like, graceful an-and clear minded." Azura could see Kiran was starting to get nervous. "Actually, I have. Peri has been rather jealous of me for being such a popular choice to fight for you. I bring up such a topic unless someone else has first. You know me." Sharena and Alfonse looked on, silently supporting her.

"W-well, let's just say I've met you before... Through Corrin's eyes, if that makes any sense. Doh, i mean like... n-not in some creepy possession way or anything, I just um... help her in comba-... Ugh, this is coming out all wrong..." Azura was starting to worry. "You look... awfully uncomfortable." Kiran sighed as her face went max pink. "N-no, no, I'm gonna... I wanna tell you this. Alright, just..." she took a deep breath. "When I first met Gunnthra, she reminded me of you. Calm, understanding, even though I couldn't speak to you directly, you were just a voice that helped me break away from it all. Somewhere along the line, I... I just wanted to know conclusively how you feel about all this." Azura took a second to untangle what Kiran was saying before a blush fell upon her. "Oh... My, that must be vexing for you. The moment I return to my world, I'm gonna forget all of this. I'm so sorry."

Alfonse whispered to Sharena. "Think we should step in? She looks ready to pass out." Sharena shook her head. "Give it a minute. See what happens." Kiran steadied her voice again. "It's okay, I've made peace with that. But after this was all over, I was thinking maybe I could spend some time with you? Don't feel pressured into an answer, I can take it if you say-" Azura cut her off. "I'm afraid I know too little about you to reciprocate your feelings. That said..." Kiran held her breath. "I _am _single. And you're certainly a nice person. That's good enough for me. Soleil may never stop talking about it, but I'm all in." Kiran just didn't know what to say. No words could accurately reflect what she was feeling, so she just embraced her in a hug. Azura was surprised, but quickly returned the gesture. Kiran may not know what lies ahead, but right now everything was just the way it should be...

Half an hour later, they peeked through the trees. There it was. A palace-like shrine made of beautiful glowing crystal of pure white. Its light was beautiful, and would have easily overshadowed everything else... were it not for the fact that in front of it stood Lif, Thrasir, Helbindi, and... Gustav. And the one woman orchestrate of terror herself, Hel. The twilight making her appearance even harder to ignore. "So Kiran, I doubt we'll grab the sword before night takes hold any minute now. What is your plan to prevent her curse?" Kiran smirked. She didn't know if she'd wanna see the look on Hel's face when she pulls this off, but it'll be worth it if it means keeping her friends alive. Hel scanned the horizons, no doubt waiting for them. "Soldiers of Askr! Your time is seconds from expiration. In these last moments, will you face me with dignity and honor?" The order of heroes then walked out into the open. "Like you know anything of honor, Hel." Alfonse retorted.

It was hard to tell what Hel was currently thinking, but it wasn't pleasant thoughts. "How very observant of you, whelp... You are awfully high spirited, for someone about to die..." Lif watched on coldy. "I shall not perish this day, Hel. I have a proposal: If you mend the damage you've done to this timeline and ours, we will consider granting you mercy. Hel narrowed her eyes. "You have quite the nerve wagging that tongue at me. Maybe I should consider ripping it from your mouth this time." She then slowly turned her head towards Eir. "And as for you, _daughter, _I am very displeased with your incompetence. I have tried to contact you several times, but you have failed to respond." Eir was not gonna falter. She was putting her foot down. "You think it was accidental? I did it on purpose. I know you're incapable of kindness, but these are nice, innocent people. I'm not just gonna let you crush them under your heel like inconsequential ants!" Hel growled. "So you are betraying me? Understand, I cannot let you die again. You are far more important than you'll ever know. But if you insist on this idiocy, I'll just have to force you into submission." The sun was down, and the stars were out. She pointed her scythe at Alfonse. "Your time is up, princeling. You're coming with me."

Kiran stood between them. "I don't think so. I nominate myself to go in his place." For once, Hel seemed adequately surprised. "Do you not comprehend what you suggest, child? When your life ends, I do not have the power to give refuge to your foreign spirit." Kiran folded her arms. "I'm your biggest threat, right? So why not be rid of me early?" Hel didn't seem amused. "Are you trying to make a mockery of me, girl? Very well. Make peace with your fate. Where you're going, you won't have such a chance." She swung her scythe down. The dirt below flying everywhere. But Hel knew something was up. Kiran's not an idiot. And she certainly wasn't desperate enough to make this trade. But when everyone could see where Hel had struck, all became clear: Kiran was still standing there. No injuries at all. Hel looked downright insulted. "...What is the meaning of this nonsense!?" Kiran nonchalantly dusted herself off. "You just recounted how I'm not from this world. You have no power over _my _life or death." Hel seemed legitimately angry. Even so, the order couldn't help but feel smug.

"I would have granted you a quick and painless demise, but it appears you rodents are incapable of taking the hint. You have brought this on yourselves. Come to my castle, and I shall prove to you how outmatched you are, even with that glorified letter opener. And do not disappoint me by dying here. Lif! Thrasir! Make this hurt." She then disappeared. They had finally outsmarted the goddess of death! With morale at an all-time high, they charged at Hel's warriors, they were going to win this war! Alfonse versus Gustav, Kiran and Eir versus Lif, Sharena versus Thrasir, and Anna versus Helbindi. Sharena found that Thrasir's attacks were lacking in the ferocity they usually had. She was able to deflect her wind attacks with her lance just fine. "Is it true? Are you really... Veronica?" Thrasir didn't answer. Instead choosing to shoot out a beam of green wind, Sharena dodged it and looked behind her to see it had put a perfect hole in the tree behind her. "Oh, right... that was probably a bit too direct." Thrasir rolled her eyes and kept attacking.

Alfonse and Gustav went at each other, Alfonse had accepted that his father would want him to win here, but something about the stern frown Hel chose to have him wear was just... painful. He had the weapon advantage, but Gustav was a fierce fighter, even with that working against him. Alfonse blocked his axe as the two got into power struggle. "My biggest... regret..." Gustav head butted him, knocking him to the ground. Alfonse quickly raised his sword as Gustav struck down on him, creating a shockwave from the impact.

Eir and Azura did well against Lif, but he was even more unrelenting than usual. He refused to use his sword against Eir, punches and kicks being fair gain, but he didn't have such mercy towards Azura. As Azura was blown back by one of his strikes, Eir sliced through his stomach with her dagger. "You know about me, Lif. I want to know who I am!" Lif grunted as he socked her with the hilt of his sword. "You don't know what you want." Azura came at him again, and he defended with the armor on his shoulder. Eir helping knock him off guard with a shoulder tackle before he had the chance to impale Azura on his shoulder spikes. As she pinned his wrists down, she looked him dead in the eye. "I may not know much, but this isn't who you are! You're not evil!" Lif rolled them over to reverse their positions. "The person I was has no right to exist!" She defended herself as best she could as he came at her with punch after punch. Eir felt a rising frustration in her. "Lif..."

Alfonse swerved under his father's attacks, as he looked for an opening to counter. Favoring speed over strength, to ensure he didn't die at his father's hands. "My biggest... regret..." Their weapons clashed again, and Alfonse gritted his teeth as he called upon all the strength he had. He looped their weapons around so that his sword was now in direct contact with his handle before swinging up, blowing the axe out into the sky as he pushed his sword straight through Gustav's chest. It all happened so fast, but somehow he did it. He had vested the greatest warrior in all of Askr. "Alfonse..." Alfonse listened to his father's words. His face reflecting the emotion he actually felt: shame. "My biggest regret... was how I drove you away." The Askran prince felt something touch him deep down as his father started saying this. "I wanted you to be successful... to be loved by our people... So I was rough on you, to make you strong and chivalrous... I thought it would make you happy..."

Alfonse had never felt closer to his father than right now. It was sad it had to be under these circumstances. "Father..." Gustav continued. "But I see now I was wrong... I gave you the impression I didn't care. We were practically like strangers, you and I... I fear I may have scared you away with my harsh teachings... I wish I could take it all back... be the father I should have been... but now it's too late." Alfonse placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're the greatest king who ever lived, father. Sure, I felt neglected sometimes, but I never hated you. It's never too late. I'm hoping when this is over, maybe we could start off with a clean slate." Gustav laughed as a smile grew on his face. "Heh...heheh... I would like that very much..." After that, he faded away. Alfonse stared off into where his father was standing. For once, he was glad he had this fight.

Azura and Eir were still struggling against Lif. Even with Anna joining in after using her and Gustav's axe to split Helbindi apart. Everyone stood there out of breath, Lif refusing to yield. "You don't understand, Eir... I'm doing this because I care about you. Please just come home with me. I'll do everything I can to make Hel forgive you..." Eir was done being deceived. "If you truly cared about me, you would tell me the truth. It's not your place to decide what I can and cannot handle." Lif tightened his grip on his sword. "I'm doing... what an older brother _should _do." He tried to rush towards Kiran and take her out, but Eir ran into his path and slashed him in the face with everything she had. Time seemed to slow down as her dagger connected to the bottom half of his face, knocking the mask he wore over his mouth off. What she saw underneath was something she never would've anticipated. His roar of agony ringing through the ears of everyone around him as the entire order saw his face in its entirety. His bloodcurdling scream was not out of pain, but more out of horror at his exposure. What was under the mask explained everything.

For his face... looked _exactly _like Alfonse...


	32. Fighting back

**_(I do what I want. I do not concern myself with trivial man-made ideals like compassion, or friendship. Both of which are merely illusions born from man's need to survive in their earliest days. Groups last longer, and lasting longer is good. But I'm no fool. The nature of humanity is what I am. The sun is destined to become a red giant and kill us all eventually anyway, and yet we waste our time destroying each other. I see where this will end, and I'll embrace it. I am humanity. I am chaos. -Loki)_**

The battle stopped in its tracks, the order all gazing at Lif. As soon as he found his footing, he shielded his face with his arms. "Don't look at me, you maggots! You'd best forget all about this, or so help me...!" Eir lowered her stance. "You're Alfonse... The Alfonse of this world." Lif practically hissed at her. "Don't you dare address me by that name! That pitiful creature died a long time ago!" Thrasir silently watched. At that moment, everything clicked in Eir's mind. All the memories came flooding back at full force! She forgot how to breathe for a moment. "Eir...?" Kiran asked, before Eir dropped her daggers and walked towards the humiliated general of Hel. "Stay where you are, woman! You can't even _BEGIN _to grasp what you're looking at...!" Eir wasn't dissuaded by his empty threat, and came close enough to have a normal conversation. "I remember now. What I see is a broken man who's struggling with the past. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are."

Lif knew that hiding himself wouldn't help, so he lowered his arms and scowled. "Eir... I am not that loser in white standing over there. Nor do I wish to be." He quickly tries to retrieve his mask, but Eir snatches it up first. "My name isn't Eir. Now drop the act. It's not helping you, in the same manner that my amnesia didn't help me." Lif's cold exterior melted into a pleading face of desperation. **(The music "Even in Death" by Adrian von Ziegler) **"I can't do that, Sharena. All I have left is you. You understand that, right? I can only find the strength to lift my sword in knowing it'll mean I can still be near you. Sister... I cannot live my afterlife alone. Not after all of this. Not ever again! Don't you see?" Everyone understood what was going on now, as Eir tried to get Lif to look her in the eyes.

"I see that you're in pain. Let me help you." Lif closed his eyes to further evade Eir's glance. "I don't deserve your concern. I was blinded by my fear of losing another friend, and as a result, I failed to listen to reason. When Loki came to us and told us of the heart, I listened. What happened to this world is on my hands. I could be mutilated time and time again, yet would it ever be enough to absolve this mistake...?" Eir held his hands, determination in her eyes. "We all made that decision, brother. No one man is responsible for this tragedy." Lif opened his eyes, tears running down his face as he tried to seem angry. "Of course you believe that, you're a naive child with no comprehension of responsibility! I was entrusted to lead us, and my judgement was our downfall! A ruler shouldn't make such an incautious decision!" Eir wasn't giving up on him. "You're human. Just like me. We all mess up, regardless of status. Look me in the eyes, and tell me you've ever lacked good intentions, or that you didn't do any good in your life. I don't want Lif, he's not important to me. What I want is you."

There was a pause. Lif abandoning his last attempt to maintain his tough guy act. "Even if I do, what use will it be? Hel has hundreds of warriors no doubt waiting for you. Thousands. Maybe even millions. What can any of us hope you accomplish?" Sharena walked up to them. "We've never backed down, Alfonse. Did we give up when we failed to beat Surtr for the first time? No. Even in the face of impossible odds, you have to try and see the light. Otherwise, we're no better than those dark clones, like Tether." Kiran joined in as well. "I have always been logical for most of my life, and yet my time here proved I wasn't nearly as alone as I thought. I'm not nihilistic anymore, and it's because you all gave me a chance to be comfortably honest that I shed that dark part of me." Lif wiped his face with his sleeve as he looked down at his blade. A hand came over and gently moved it down. The hand of Thrasir. "Maybe it's time to stop mourning over the past and start thinking of the future..."

Lif took some deep breaths. Eir holding his face in her hand. After regaining his composure, he spoke once more. But this time, in his original voice. "You have such faith in me. Even after everything I've done... I suppose I could stand up and fight this one last time. It appears not even such bleak circumstances could kill the essence of who I am..." He slowly grew a smile and turned to the other Alfonse. "I was trapped in a nightmare. We all were. I think it's time someone put an end to it. Someone like you." Alfonse still found it crazy he was talking to himself, but it didn't bother him at all. "We'll win this for you. I swear it on my honor as a prince." Lif smirked as Thrasir stood by his side. "Heh. I said the same thing once. But I feel you might just pull this off..." Thrasir then got out her spellbook as the two of them waved goodbye. The order waved back as Thrasir started chanting. "Please take care of my sister." Lif asked. Alfonse nodded. "I will." Lif seemed at peace for once in his afterlife, and Thrasir teleported them out of there.

Eir rejoined her friends, gesturing towards the shrine. "Come on. We have two worlds to save." They all walked over to the entrance. A large door being the entrance to the building. Said door had an odd shaped hole in the front that was clearly some lock mechanism. As sharp a thinker as ever, Kiran pushed Breidablik into it like a key and turned it. The door opened, revealing the marble interior. Everyone walked in. The floor was glossy, and the walls were pure white like the outside. Anna whistled. "Now this is a pretty nice place. Thorr's a pretty great architect." The order took in the sights, as they wandered through this place. Soraka was here somewhere, but Thorr said it was also guarded by some sort of trial. Whatever it was, Kiran was going to get that sword. They entered a large room. It had several pillars in it, and statues of many heroes from across space and time in the back. And on a fancy pedestal was the prize they sought: Soraka. It was a thin sword that looked much like Sieglinde. It had a blue and gold hilt, and a silver blade. It also had a gem in the center that was a rainbow of colors, like that of all the gems on the fire emblem in one. "There it is..." Eir stated, in awe.

They felt a strange presence fill the room. A warm and inviting feminine voice speaking, as its source showed itself: a woman shaped figure made out of light. "Welcome, heroes of order. I congratulate you on your journey thus far. I am Sera, spirit of creation. Before I can awaken Soraka's power, its ideal user must be tested to be capable of handling its magical might." Alfonse looked at Sera. "Thorr has entrusted us to get Soraka. Can't we just take it and leave?" Sera floated there. "Nay, young prince. Kiran's strength of body and mind must be tested. If she cannot safely utilize the incredible power of Soraka, the surge of magic would overload her heart, and cause it to explode." Kiran cringed. "Good point. I don't want that. But am I truly ideal to use it? I've never fought anyone directly before." She asked. "Indeed. Your heart is just, and your wisdom is admirable. If these traits are bright enough, this god wounding weapon is yours. Shall I explain your trial?" Kiran nodded, and Sera floated above Soraka.

"One of these statues is your soul's match. They shall be your opponent. One other person is permitted to fight with you, but only one. If you are victorious, I shall awaken the sword. Do you understand?" Kiran was surprised she'd have to do the fighting herself, but she was going to do what was necessary to save Askr. "I am." Sera twinkled for a moment in response to her answer. "Then select whom shall join you." Sera then dissipated, and Kiran was left with her choice. Before she could pick someone though, a voice rang out from behind them. "It's an easy decision to make. I shall be your partner." Everyone turned to see Veronica and Xander standing there. Veronica having a much less glassy expression than she usually had. "Veronica...?" The others were about to raise their weapons, but Kiran signaled it was okay. "You are a very difficult person to find, Kiran. I've gone on a wild goose chase to get here, so I hope my effort is appreciated." Sharena raised an eyebrow. "Why did you follow us all the way here? And for that matter, _how _did you follow us here?"

Veronica was straightforward in her answer. "Loki. For a deceptive rat, she is gifted in knowing things she normally shouldn't. She really milked this trip for all it was worth. Ever heard of the song that never ends? Well, it turns out there's a pretty good reason why it's called that! I should know! She sang that the entire trip!" She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I came because I wanted to help. I don't want Hel invading my kingdom, and this is the perfect way to make up for the mistakes of the past..." She looked away on that last part. "Well, if you want to be my partner, I see no issue." Alfonse and Sharena looked at her, surprised. "What? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Anna asked. Eir turned to them. "It's okay. Thrasir is an indication she means no harm." Veronica scanned down Eir. "'Thrasir'? What are you talking about? Who even are you?" Kiran walked over. "It's a long story. Come on." As the two of them walked over to Soraka, Veronica folded her arms. "Don't get the wrong idea, though. I'm not doing this for you." Kiran just ignored the response, knowing she was bluffing.

She picked up Soraka. It felt like any regular sword, but that was because right now it was a regular sword. It was light, and Kiran liked that. She then directed her attention towards the statues: Marth, Alm, Celica, Roy, Ike, etc. These were all vessels for the overseers. "My soul's match, hmm?" She looked through the lineup, and upon spotting one, she knew what Sera meant. She approached the statue of Corrin and got into a fighting stance. Veronica drew her spellbook. "This is it?" Kiran nodded, as the statue then shook and its colors faded in. It was no longer just a statue, it was the real Corrin! **(The music "Mind in a PROGRAM phase 1" from Kirby: Planet Robobot plays) **Xander was at a loss for words. The author almost forgetting about him altogether. "C-Corrin? What are you doing here?" A light aura covered Corrin's skin. "I was called, Xander. Called to meet an old friend of mine. Are you ready for a little sparring lesson, Kiran?" She drew out her Omega Yato.

Kiran got into a fighting stance. "As ready as I'll ever be. Don't hold back." Corrin smiled. "Then let us begin!" She launched her dragon arm at her, as Kiran deflected it with Soraka, almost having the sword knocked from her hands. Veronica struck Corrin with her magic, but Corrin blocked it with her sword. Corrin quickly closed the gap between her and Kiran, as the summoner desperately swung her weapon, in the hopes that that chainsaw sword would be as far from her delicate human flesh as possible. Corrin transformed her arm into a dragon mouth and charged up a blast of water magic as Kiran bolted to the side, letting Yato follow its momentum into the floor. Corrin flung her arm at Kiran to blast out her attack, but as soon as the orb of water left her grasp, Veronica cut it to ribbons with her wind. Kiran took her opening to get in a good slash on Corrin's side. The vallite princess reeled, and studied her opponents, who were on opposite sides of her.

"I commend you for your synergy. But if you are to succeed, you must be able to adapt to anything. Let's see how far I can go with this light boost." Corrin struck the ground with her arm mouth, causing torrents of water to pour out of the ground. The room quickly filled with water, but because it was magic water, everyone could still breath, and talk in it. Kiran suddenly felt energized, like she could run a marathon. Looking down at herself, she saw streaks of wind magic around her. Veronica smirked. "A little something I learned since our last encounter." Corrin then sprouted wings, and bolted through the flooded room towards Veronica, to which she responded by stirring up the water with some tornadoes, sucking Corrin into one spot. She then pelted Corrin with some more magic, while she was vulnerable. Corrin used her Yato to block the seabound assault and moved with the current to free herself. Now rippling through the water towards Kiran, Kiran ducked with her now enhanced speed and managed to get in a slice under her arm.

Corrin grasped her arm as the water levels died down. Leaving everyone in the room, (spectators included), soaked from head to toe. "Heh... Now I remember why you're the brains of the army. Look lively though, it's time for me to go all out!" Corrin tossed her sword aside, and pulled out her dragonstone. Kiran gulped, knowing what was about to happen. Corrin morphed into her dragon form, and the two fighters watched for any sudden movements. "Whatever form you take, I won't let myself lose!" Kiran shouted, really regretting how Soraka wasn't a wyrmslayer. Corrin shook the ground with a stomp, and raced towards the two of them. Kiran jolted to the side and looked for a way to _'get up on the hydra's back' _as the kiddies say. Veronica meanwhile, used her wind to blow herself out of harms way, and into the air. As she descended, she rippled through the dragon with her signature razor-like gusts. While Corrin was distracted with Veronica, Kiran struck upwards at the beast's hind leg and jumped on top of her. Now that Corrin knew what she was up to, she started to fly swiftly in an attempt to shake her off. Kiran held on for dear life as she took the occasion jab at the suit of armor that was her scales. "I think I'm gonna hurl!" Kiran remarked as she was engaged in the world's worst mechanical bull ride.

"Jump!" Veronica instructed, as she shot at Corrin's wings, causing her to start falling. Kiran didn't hesitate, and leaped off this crazy thing and landing with minor pain in her legs from the sudden stop, as her dragon opponent crashed headfirst into a wall. "D-did we win?" Kiran's question was answered, as she heard a roar behind her. Veronica tackled her down, as Corrin's water breath attack barely missed them. The stumbled to their feet as Kiran used her speed to sprint towards Corrin, somersaulting over the deadly jet of water the silver dragon aimed at her, and when she finally got close enough, she thrust Soraka straight into Corrin's skull. Corrin's attack stopped as she collapsed back into her human form. Her aura of light now gone. Kiran panted. She was amazed with herself. She just beat Corrin! "It's a good thing you'll be healed back at the castle." Kiran joked. Corrin laughed, despite the quip not being so funny from her perspective. "You have won. Congratulations. Looks like I still have much more to learn..."

Xander walked over. "Nonsense, sister. You performed admirably." Corrin seemed happy at his approval. "I learn from the best. Now you shall wield the power of Soraka. The power of Thorr herself. Best of luck, Kiran... I know you can win this..." She then disappeared. Kiran felt her strength shoot way up as both her, and Soraka gleamed with a white aura. "Absolutely amazing..." she stated, feeling like a whole new her. Sharena came up and hugged her. "I knew you could do it, Kiran! You were awesome out there!" Kiran took the gesture the way it was meant, even though it was crushing her windpipe. With the means of defeating Hel in their hands, they all walked out of the shrine to be welcomed with a sight they didn't want to see: Loki and Tether. Tether quietly stood there, looking moody as ever. But Loki was ready to greet them with her usual false sweetness. "Good job, guys! You got your hands on Thorr's fancy looking backscratcher. Who's ready to take on Hel?" Everyone just stared at her. "You know, this is the part where you're supposed to be all excited and stuff. Gotta entertain our adoring public somehow." She said, winking at no one in particular as if she was alluding to a live audience.

"We've got what we need. Now scram." Veronica coldly declared. Loki pouted. "You just love being grump, huh? Danny and Egorapter would probably hire you without hesitation. And here I was about to conjure up some carriages to help you all get back to Hel." Veronica was beside herself. "You mean you could've done that the whole- agh, forget it. Fine. You stay just a bit longer." Loki struck several overdramatic poses, as she magically played the Matchebox Twenty song 'Bright Lights' for added effect. "Alas, I could not. My feelings, they are spit upon! My dignity and emotional stability are... er... undignified and unstable...? My very soul rings out in agony, at the rejection of by my allie-" Veronica groaned. "Just get us to Hel's castle already." Loki played a record scratching sound effect as she stopped the song. "Yeesh, top down the sass, tsundere-kins. Your heart might as well be made of dippin' dots." She summoned two carriages to carry the whole crew, like it was nothing.

"I know what'll cheer you up. How about a nice soprano of the song that never en-" Veronica went from zero to twenty in that one instant. **"DON'T YOU %#*ING DARE!" **Loki frowned. "Okay. Music hater. I get that. I guess I'll just cry myself to sleep tonight." She went into one of the carriages. The whole gang player a game of Rock Paper Scissors to see who'd have to end up in the same one as her. Alfonse and Xander would be the ones driving.

Kiran knew from what Thorr told her that Loki couldn't be trusted. For all they knew, she was probably working _for _Hel. Kiran would feel much more comfortable about slaying the goddess in knowing Loki couldn't pull the rug out from under them afterwards. And despite no one ever saying anything, they seemed to be in agreement that it wasn't wise to keep her around too long. So as they rode off, Kiran started concocting a plan. With Soraka in her grasp, maybe she could finally cut her down to size after all the misery she's brought the world. She had made up her mind. It was time to out-trick the trickster herself. It was time her madness came to an end...

**(This chapter is brought to you by Summer Breeze Boat Rental. Well... not really, but my friend's dad runs the joint, and I thought it'd be nice to give them a little attention. Anyway, hope you're all pumped. Next chapter will be the last stand against Hel. And then... Hehehe... You'll see for yourself what happens.)**


	33. Judgment Day

**(What a wild ride we've taken to get all the way here, huh? We've tackled tons of things, from Kiran's past, to Fjorm's hidden insecurities, to the way Hel's generals dealt with their trauma. I'm glad you've all given me your encouragement. Now get comfy, let's bring this thing full circle.)**

Kiran's carriage was populated by Veronica, Eir, and Anna. It was nice to sit back and relax, after all that's been going on. Even if they were in actuality heading off to take on the goddess of death. The order used this break from fighting to trade stories about what they'd been doing the last few days. As strange as it was to admit, Kiran actually enjoyed Veronica's company. She really had changed for the better since she rescued her from Surtr's murderous clutches. "Wow. You've all been quite busy. Time travel, bloodthirsty monsters, sounds like something out of a fever dream." Veronica commented. Kiran was mesmerized by the shine of her new toy. Even so, she thinking up a plan for how to deal with their little frenemy. Loki always had an uncanny talent for being one step ahead of the pack, so she needed to be clever in how she'd beat her.

"I've been thinking..." Eir began. "Now that I have my memory back, a foreboding thought has started to make itself known... These events, have you ever noticed how Loki's never seemed surprised by any of it?" Anna shrugged. "She's just the kind of person who never takes anything too seriously." Eir frowned. "I don't think it's that. The more I think about it, the more I realize all the wars that have occurred appear... orchestrated. Orchestrated by the careful precision of someone with the intellect Loki has. For starters, it was her idea to retrieve the forbidden heart. A heart that only she knew about prior to telling us." Anna took it into consideration. "Say, I think you might be on to something. Remember how Loki just backstabbed Surtr at the last minute? If she hadn't abandoned him, he very well may have won." Kiran decided to voice her own theories. "Yeah. And the fact she just so happened to show up after Hel invaded after being absent for so long?" Eir's pupils then shrunk. "Oh dear... I think I just deciphered what's going on here..."

Everyone listened in on her suggestion. "In my timeline, the forbidden heart was locked away in the shrine of shadows. And it could only be commanded by someone either free of, or made up of malice. Hence why i could retrieve it, and use it. Why it now takes up residence within me." She stated, gesturing to where her heart was. "But what's strange is that it had the exact same enchantment as the shrine of light. An enchantment that was capable of keeping out Loki and Tether. That defense wasn't just made for anyone. It was made to keep her out specifically. And this is when her true intentions become clear:" The others gasped, as they saw what she was proposing. **(The music "UNKNOWN" from Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies plays) **"Loki somehow knew about Hel's deal with Surtr, to take us out. So she personally managed the operation, to see to it that he'd eventually lose by our hands. With Hel invading, I'd get captured by you. Slipping in under the radar, under the pretense of being Veronica's prisoner, she'd get close to me."

Kiran put it all together. It all made sense. "She wants the forbidden heart." She thought aloud. "Yes. She told us before that she only serves one master: chaos. If she got her hands on it, she could wipe out entire populations! The world would be plunged into anarchy, and no one but Hel would be able to stop her! And if that's true, she's expecting us to weaken her before she can pose a threat." The lot of them were awestruck! The fact that a person could put together such an elaborate but diabolical plan to gain such a powerful artifact, it was just... crazy! But now that information could help them out. Now that they knew what Loki was trying to trick them into doing, they could get an idea for what they could do to beat her at her own game. "To think I let that scheming rat play me for a fool again! I'll make her regret assaulting my eardrums while I did her dirty work." Veronica announced. It was settled. When they get to the castle, Loki's crime spree had to be put to a stop. Kiran didn't know if Soraka would work on her, but it was their best bet.

They arrived at Hel's castle. The sky was black, despite it being day time. Storm clouds boiled above them, as the thunder rumbled. Kiran and the others got out of their carriages, the group keeping an eye on Loki, whom was humming Robbie Rotton's song, 'master of disguise'. The area was so dark from the lack of sunlight, that they could only see a few feet in front of them. Hel's castle made a silhouette that was barely visible in the darkness. "Where's Tether?" Alfonse asked. "She said something along the lines of not caring about our _'endless cycle of idiocy'. _Not that she'd willingly help us that much anyway, so we let her stay in the carriage." Sharena explained. The wind howled, as they walked through Hel's front garden. Though in all honesty, it wasn't so much a garden, as it was a collection of dead plants, wilted shrubbery, depressing stone statues of fallen heroes and villains, and gravestones. What was especially unnerving was that Loki was becoming unnervingly quiet. Normally, that'd be a welcome sign, but it looked incredibly suspicious. They stopped in front of the front door. A massive door with a gargoyle door knocker. It clearly wasn't locked, though it was obvious it was built with Hel's height in mind.

Loki's normal expression faded to a serious frown. "You know... it's no debate we're about to fight a fellow goddess, and that fighting someone immortal is gonna be tricky. But I can't help but feel we're all in danger..." Kiran kept her sword ready. "And why is that?" Veronica asked, having the feeling something was about to go down. "I don't know... Yoink!" She pointed her scepter at Eir and blasted a ball of fire at her, Kiran going in for the save and successfully blocking the attack. "Just a feeling!" Loki quipped, as her mocking grin returned. Everyone drew their weapons on her, as Loki giggled. "Honestly now, plotting to kill me? That's adorable, darling. But I do applaud you for figuring me out." Anna watched her for any sudden movements. "How did you know about that!?" Loki snickered. "Mama's gonna let you in on a little secret, stupids: Us gods have an ability of foresight. So long as something isn't by the hands of another god, we can see anything that's going to happen." Alfonse pointed his sword at her. "That explains how you were able to find us. What are you plotting?"

Loki nonchalantly stretched. "I'm merely seeking to take back what is mine. Starting with a certain internal organ my sister performed a fatality to steal from me." She pointed at Eir. Eir grit her teeth. "So you're the true owner of the forbidden heart. Why am I not surprised?" Loki laughed into the wind. "Oh, you're all so smart. Do you have any idea how much effort I had to put into this plan? I had to utilize two separate timelines to make this happen! And if you think you can unravel all this with one fight, by all means, I invite you to try." She then Cast her arms to the side as a whirlwind of darkness erupted from her, throwing everyone back beside Kiran. **(The music "Aqua/Magma Leader Battle" from Pokemon UltraSun/Moon plays) **Kiran dodged Loki's attacks, as the vile creature sprouted pillars of flames from the ground to try and deep fry her. "It's because of your actions that Surtr came back, and innocent people were killed!" She struck at her, as Loki defended with her scepter.

"Why should I care? Me and Thorr created this world, but did we ever get so much as a thank you? No, the opposite. We had everything stolen from us, and I'm not just gonna sit on my maiden posterior and do nothing like her." She knelt down during the power struggle, and picked up some dirt before throwing it into Kiran's eyes. She then roundhouse kicked her across the face, as she formed a dark barrier around the area. "I'm taking a page from Validar's book, and keeping you from getting backup. Kiran sprinted to her feet, and fired Breidablik, the one to come out being Eir. "What the...?" Loki asked confusedly, before looking through the barrier to see Eir was no longer on the outside. Eir readied her daggers. "Surprised? My fair share of battles have long since earned me the title of hero." Eir knew she couldn't hurt Loki, but she threw her daggers at her in the hopes that the poison worked on her. Loki unleashed a super powered sneeze to blow her daggers away. "Well, aren't we special?" Kiran and Eir then charged at her again, their friends cheering them on from outside the barrier. Loki then summoned a wacky wavy inflatable arm-flailing tube man with boxing gloves to try and beat down her opponents.

The tube man slammed its fists down on them, shaking the ground with the impact, despite being a glorified balloon... thing... Kiran and Eir jumped out of harms way. "Where does she come up with this stuff!?" Eir shouted, as she divided her focus between the tube man and Loki. Loki ran at Eir, in an attempt to kill her and steal her heart, but Kiran got in the way just in time and deflected her attack. She then got a clean hit on Loki, slicing through her shoulder blade. To both their amazement, Loki actually seemed to be hurt by the attack. Loki's smile vanished, and she looked in fear at her injury. "Why is it not healing!? Thorr, you sly cat...!" Eir managed to deflate the tube man with only one blow of her daggers, as the two of them closed in on their foe. Loki's surprise turned to anger. "Alright, now you've gone and done it! You'll pay for that! No refunds!" She transformed her hands into snakes, and spit acid out of them. To avoid getting dissolved, Eir got Kiran onto her back before launching her off. Kiran then dived over the streams of acid and cut off Loki's hands... snakes... Loki screamed in pain, the horror of her newfound helplessness sinking in.

"You... You stay away from me!" Pathetically picking up her scepter in her teeth, she then summoned a demonic Barney the dinosaur with a chainsaw. Kiran couldn't help but be impressed by her imagination. "Really? Just... why?" Kiran focused on Loki, and Eir kept the dinosaur at bay. "I will not...!" Loki protested, through her teeth. But it was too late. Kiran pulverized her through where her heart would be, finishing her off. Loki dropped her scepter from her mouth, and fell to her knees. Barney then vanished, on account of the sorceress being defeated. The dark barrier fell, as everyone came in and looked at the disgraceful woman in her final moments. "It's over now. You're not coming back." Kiran told her barely alive enemy. Loki breathes heavily, as she hung her head low. Not saying a word for the longest time. She then smiled. "Don't think... for a second you've won... Oh my... I guess this is the time for an overly dramatic death scene, huh...? All our lives are nothing more than a giant wall of words on a screen... Tell Thorr..." she weakly rose her head. "That I should've been in smash brothers." She then went silent. Her eyes stuck open, as her body went limp. Her creepy smile still on her face.

Kiran retrieved Soraka, as her body slumped over to the ground. Veronica then kicked her. "Pitiful vermin. I'm glad we won't have to deal with her anymore." Eir looked at the destruction that had just taken place around them. "Yes. Now come on. We still have two worlds to save." Remembering why they were there, the gang went into Hel's castle. It was time to restore peace once and for all. The castle was amazingly empty, but when they kicked down the door to Hel's throne room, it became clear why. The room was ridiculously huge, the other end of it housing a giant statue of Hel herself, but something was tied by a rope to her hands: Lif and Thrasir! At the base of the statue was Hel on her throne, her scythe in her hand. The room looked like a combination of a normal gothic, throne room and a court room. In the arena-style stands was every undead fighter in Hel's army, looming menacingly over the order of heroes. Hel was her usual sociopathic self. "You've kept me waiting. Did you almost get cold feet?"

Lif and Thrasir were gagged, dangling helplessly from the narcissistic monument to the goddess. "What did you do to them!?" Eir demanded, angrily. Hel lazily got up from her throne. "Is it not obvious? I do not tolerate disloyalty, something that appears to have surfaced in these two. They're just like you. Stubborn. After our battle, I will have to erase their memories, like I did you." Eir teethed with rage. Kiran raising her sword. "One way or another, you're going to atone for everything you've done." Hel sighed. "What I've _'done'_ is maintain order. By establishing the a system of life and death, I stabilize this universe. It is a thankless job, but I must do it. It was what I was created to do. You think yourself clean of conscience, but my wrath was forced by your hands." Kiran was insulted by that accusation. "You're blaming us for _your _actions!? That's the last straw!" Hel licked her scythe with her abnormally long tongue. "I will not waste my time any further, by reasoning with the intellectually deceased. You stand on trial for crimes against the universe, and I shall be your executioner." The crowds of the dead then started flooding in, and the battle was on! **(The music "Lusamine Mother Beast Battle" From Pokemon Sun/Moon plays) **Kiran gave commands to her allies. "Anna, Veronica, try to rescue Lif and Thrasir. Lif, you're with me. Everyone else, keep the hordes at bay!" They all took their roles, and acted fast against Hel, and her army.

As the Askr siblings and Xander held back the coming tsunami of fighters, they saw a welcome sight: there appeared to be some in-fighting. Gunnthra, Anna, Gustav, and Surtr. They were all helping to keep them alive! They just might be able to win this thing! Kiran and Eir attacked Hel, as she focused all her attacks on Kiran. Kiran dodged the first swing of her scythe as Eir pelted the freak of nature with daggers. "Tell me Hel, did you ever think of me as anything but a pawn!? No, you couldn't, could you!? You cannot feel anything!" She was unleashing all her pent up aggression for years and years at Hel, even though it didn't seem to hurt her at all. "Sharena, I had to keep you safe. The heart is too dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands." She fired off ghost skulls at Kiran, and the Askran tactician rolled underneath them. "You mean Loki. We already killed her." Kiran took her chance to get a hit in, and managed to leave a cut on Hel's legs, even though she couldn't see them through her dress. It did seem to legitimately hurt her, but it also appeared to make her mad. "Preposterous! You cannot kill a god. It's a physical impossibility!" She brought down her scythe again, but Eir blocked it with her daggers. A pinkish red aura glowing around her.

Hel seemed surprised. "You're using the heart again!? You idiot! There's no one left for you to-" then she looked around her to see her soldiers dying left and right without even being attacked, fading into pinkish red mist. Eir smirked. "The soldiers of the dead can revive themselves endlessly! You've lost!" Kiran then hopped onto her scythe and ran up it to leave a grizzly slash across her chest. Hel howled in pain as her black wound showed proof of their efforts. "Don't you see!? I'm trying to protect the worlds! I will not... CANNOT die! I am death!" She clutched her injury as she tried to think of a way out of this. Thinking of a solution, she sliced the foundation on her statue, causing it to begin falling! Anna and Veronica quickly cut their undead allies free, and tried to stay on as the colossal thing tumbled. But Kiran wasn't going to let her do this. "All of you, jump!" Veronica and the others listened, and leaped off the statue when it got close enough to the ground. Kiran charged at the statue, and sliced it in half again to provide her and Eir a clear way through. Jumping through the gap, Hel tried to react soon enough, but Kiran tossed Soraka at her with all her might! The entire sword going straight through her, and flying out on the other side!

Hel's scream rattled through the room, as she collapsed to her knees. Her scythe clattering to the ground, and she was left at the complete mercy of Kiran. Her army were snapped from Hel's mind control, and layed down their weapons en masse. The order then crowded around the humiliated goddess. Kiran putting her sword to her throat. "Now you listen to us. You're going to undo all the damage you've done to both worlds. That includes when you used Surtr." Hel couldn't believe she was somehow on her knees before mere mortals like them! "What!? Do you have any idea what you suggest!? Death doesn't work like that, I can't just-" Kiran cut off her scythe hand as a warning. "You cannot hide behind your guise of responsibility. This war was your fault. Now fix this mess!" Kiran roared. At that moment, Hel's expression shifted to horrified realization. "Oh no... Oh no, I think you may be right..." Eir raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Hel decided to explain. "Unlike the creator of our worlds, Thorr, and her other half Loki, my ability of foresight is not as precise. I received a vague prediction months before that Askr would lead to my downfall. I thought you all beneath my worry, so I made a deal with Surtr to have him take you out for me... but when you beat him, I realized how you couldn't just be ignored. I thought you were the type to attack unprovoked anyway, for kindness has always been a weakness in my eyes. But now I realize that all of us have been manipulated."

Then, they heard something from behind them. Clapping. It echoed through the room, and they turned to see... Henriette? But they immediately deciphered it definitely wasn't her. The fake Henriette smiled. "You mortals are pathetically predictable." She slowly walked towards them. There was no doubt as to who she really was. "Loki... but how? We killed you!" Sharena objected. Loki took on her regular form. A very familiar looking silver ring on her finger: The tear ring. "Did you now? How's about I drop a little knowledge bomb on ya? That wasn't me. You think I was using that time between our encounters for nothing? No. I used my shape shifting powers to kidnap your dear mother, and then replace her." Everyone gasped. "What!? So you were masquerading as mother all this time!? But then who was that other Loki!? A clone!?" Alfonse asked, still in shock. Loki laughed. "Oh yes. I needed to keep up appearances to avoid arousing suspicion, so I implanted a part of my soul into the old hag. Ain't that a swell deal? I get to see her husband's chiseled features, and she does all the sweaty business for me. Poor thing had no chance of overpowering me."

Hel stared angrily at her. "Coward! You are a disgrace to us all!" She tried to raise her scythe, but she was too weak. "Hey, I'm not the one who committed matricide. These worlds, and everything in them rightfully belong to me. So I can do with it whatever I want. Speaking of which..." She pointed her open palm at Eir, as she screamed in agony. Emerging from her was a heart. A black heart with red and pink veins on the outside. Eir fell to her knees, as Loki places her heart back where it came from. Eir was still alive, but that felt incredibly painful. Loki's eyes turned purple, with red pupils. "Thank you so much for your donation." One by one, the order charged at her, but Loki managed to disarm each and every one of them with lightning fast movements, beating them to a bloody pulp. "Feels good to be back." Kiran stood between her and the others. Holding Soraka, no matter how terrified she was. "So you have what you want. But Hel won't stay down forever! And one of us could stop you!"

Loki giggled. "Oh? Somehow I don't think so." Hel started looking down at herself, as her body started to dissolve into blackness. "Loki... You will not get awa-...!" But before she could finish her sentence, she had dissolved into black smoke. That black smoke then flew to Loki, and formed into a solid substance: a black shield with 5 gemstones in it. "This is the other reason I wanted you to beat down Hel. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Dark Emblem. And I'll be happy to grant a demonstration." Kiran ran at her to try and stop her, but it was too late. A wave of darkness shot out from the Dark Emblem, and passed harmlessly through Kiran, but the instant it touched her friends, they disintegrated! Tears flowed down Kiran's face as she watched helplessly as her friends faded to dust before her. All having just enough time to realize what was happening before they dissolved. "How could you!?" Kiran roared, barely even able to lift her sword after seeing what she just saw.

Loki walked over to her. "Nothing personal, champ. But I'm pretty sure leaving a potential threat alive is a bad idea. Luckily for you, the power of Hel has no effect on an overseer like you. I have something special in mind to take you out of the picture, but first I think you deserve to see who I am..." kiran could barely watch through tear-filled eyes, as she saw Loki transform into her original form. The form that explained exactly how she was made: she looked exactly like Thorr, but her eyes were crazed, and sunken in, her limbs had shackles on them, her dress was covered in dirt, her fingernails were chipped, and her skin was pale as a ghost. Kiran saw exactly what she was now.

"Heeheehee. That's right, kid. I'm Thorr's dark side. But Here's a fun fact: Thorr isn't her real name. It's actually someone that I doubt anyone remembers: Shouzou Kaga. Too bad she was too ashamed of my existence to give you the full story. But worry not. When everything has been destroyed, I'll finally take back this world, and rebuild it in my own image. I'll finally have my revenge on the overseers. And if you're lucky, you'll make the cut in my new world. So don't take this personally, Kiran. I'll give you a fitting end. Our fans will certainly miss you." Kiran reached for her sword again, but she then found herself encased in a cloud of darkness. Blackness all around her. It was cold. So cold. Was this... the end...?

**(And so concludes the Hel Saga. Now we get to the part of this story I'd been planning for so long! That's right, it's the final saga! The Loki Saga. I predict there'll only be 2 or 3 chapters in it, but it's the grand finale! The ultimate show! Summoner of Askr versus Goddess of Chaos. I intend to pull out all the stops for this one. The battle isn't over! It's all up to Kiran now!)**


	34. Light the way

**(Regret is a very tormenting emotion. On one hand, it is what drives those who've committed wrongs to change for the better. But thinking too obsessively about what could have been, it can become toxic. You become a prisoner to your own memory. Stuck in and endless loop of what you wish had been, and what actually happened. It's paralyzing. It keeps you from moving on in your life. This was Kiran's life once. Replaying the same sad elegy upon the record player of her mind. But she's overcome her fear of rejection. She's overcome her fear of loss. And there remains one final step before breaking free from her cell...)**

Kiran floated through the endless abyss of darkness. Was she dead...? No. Clearly not. She felt very much alive. After a moment or two, she felt her feet touch what she could only assume was the ground. This was so strange. She could see herself very clearly, but everything around her was just... nothingness. This void... she felt a sort of familiarity here. The silence allowed her to focus on feel. This place felt cold. The air oozed with an overall feeling of sadness... loneliness... even anger... She had no idea where she was, but it was better than being dead. She then heard a voice distantly echo from somewhere.** "Gaze out... what do you see? Joy? Hope? No. You cannot see anything, can you? How long has it been since you've been here, and seen everything as well as I do? Allow me to shed some _light _on the subject."** Then in front of her, a spotlight flashed to life from the ceiling. It did not reveal anything significant, other than she was in a very long looking hallway. **(The music "Fire Emblem: Three Houses Main Theme [Music Box]" plays)**

Not having any other idea of what to do, she walked down the hall. It seemed infinite. Spotlights turning on as she walked by them. "**Mind numbing, isn't it? Walking forward, to an unknown destination that lies somewhere in the murk and grime. Almost enough to drive you to the brink of insanity. Your only reward for endurance is more steps to walk. Always moving, always pressing on, and yet have you truly gone anywhere at all?" **Kiran was feeling uneasy. She knew by the voice who was talking to her, and it was not exactly the kind of company she wanted right now. She stubbornly continued to walk into the endless hall before her. **"If one continued on this path, all your vitality would drain and you would collapse from exhaustion. Or hunger. Or thirst. Don't you get it? Your efforts will only ever be rewarded by a new chore to do, a new task to undergo, a new problem to solve. Don't you see it's killing you? With everyone marching on like this, no one's gonna turn around and look back when you're no longer walking with them."**

Kiran then fell through a trap door, falling into the darkness once more. Landing in some sort of giant toy box. **"Everyone in this miserable world has a limited time to make an impression. Like a toy being played with by its child. No matter how fond the memories may be, the child's life will move on. They'll grow up. And that toy will be left to be forgotten. Unwanted, despite the joy it once gave." **The toy box then started being filled with demonic looking dolls, action figures, and other such playthings. Dog piling into the box by some unknown force. Kiran started to become suffocated by them as she desperately crawled to reach the surface. Making it out, the box tipped over and she was send tumbling once again. She then landed in a puddle. The darkness around her opening up to reveal her old house on a rainy day. Her parents, her childhood friends from school, even the friends she made in this world. They all stood outside. But they didn't move. Or blink. They were just illusions after all.

**"These _'friends' _you hold so dear? I must remind you it's inevitable they cannot stay..." **Right before her eyes, the house and her friends started aging rapidly. The paint peeling, wrinkles appearing on their faces and their bodies shriveling down. **"The fact of the matter is we're all temporary. Bonds may fade, through choice or chance. And even if you're lucky enough to keep someone all through your life, life is only ever so long... Like a snowman in the winter, all things have a beginning and an end." **Kiran watched in horror as the house collapsed to dust and all her friends died right in front of her a second time. Their aging skin tearing away, leaving just the skeleton as their bones soon were reduced to nothing. **"And that's all assuming you don't cross that threshold first!" **A horrible half decayed version of her then popped out of nowhere and tackled her, before the house was consumed by the darkness once more, and when Kiran opened her eyes again, the zombie clone of her was gone.

Then all the darkness dispelled itself. And Kiran could finally see where she was: a prison cell. Countless markings on the walls representing the days. She was chained to the wall, as the rain from outside poured through the gutter-esque window. Soaking her in her newly attained prisoners outfit. In the cell with her on the steel bed was her captor. Tether looked at her with disinterested eyes. **"You put all your eggs in one basket. You chose to believe in your friends, and where did that land you? Hmm? Right back with me again. I want to savor this moment. Everyone you cared for so much are gone. You're alone all over again. Hurts, doesn't it?" **Kiran tried to break her restraints, but they were too strong. "Where are we!?" Tether sighed. **"Where you've kept me imprisoned all these years. Your mind. I've always been a part of you, but you never embraced me. No, you always chose to ignore me and shove me back here merely because I wanted to protect you from a world that doesn't appreciate our sacrifices."**

Kiran stopped struggling. For once she agreed it actually was useless to try and free herself. "That may have been your intention, but if I let myself give in, you wouldn't be helping me so much as cutting me off from my last ties with humanity. And answer me this, how would that be any different than us being here right now?" Tether stood up. **"It would've been quick and painless. But your crimes against me didn't stop there. You had to go and make some friends, destroying the last thing we had in common: our simple understanding of the world. You left me here to rot in this foresaken place until Loki fished me out. Imagine my surprise to see the world out there was just like this one. Only the cage was much more expansive." **Kiran knew that in her darkest of dark moments, she may have thought along these lines. But... "So what? Am I just supposed to submit to my own futility? Stop myself from even trying to do good, knowing full well I could help make the world happier for others, _and _myself!?"

Tether looked her dead in the eyes. **"After all of your setbacks, you still cannot see reason? You are simply masochistic. How wonderful it must be to be so blissfully ignorant." **Then, to the surprise of both of them, Kiran then pulled and successfully broke her chain. Then another, then another, and just like that she was able to move again. "You're something I never should've allowed to happen! All my life you've kept me in an endless loop of misery and despair. You're a bully, that's what you are! If you wanna give up, be my guest. But leave me out of it!" Tether smirked. **"You fail to recall, I AM you." **Kiran grit her teeth and somehow magically summoned her sword to her side. "You're not me anymore!" The walls of the prison then crumbled, leaving them in a giant ocean of rainwater that they could somehow stand on top of. **"Heh. A battle then, to see who is right? I shall rip your mind from the clouds and bury you into the dirt! So it shall be! BY YOUR OWN HAND!" **Tether blasted an orb of darkness at Soraka, forming a dark copy of it for her to use. "I shall be free from all of this. And the only way out is through you!" And so the two charged at each other, and with that first clang of blades connecting, it was on! **(The music "L'Eminenza Oscura ll" from Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance plays)**

The thunder crashed with every blow they dealt. Kiran kept her composure, as Tether tried to overwhelm her with strong attacks. Unsurprisingly, they were evenly matched. It was like the Dark Link fight from Ocarina of Time. They paused from the fighting to get an idea what the other was thinking. Doing the old 'counter-clockwise'. **"When a friend leaves, or betrays your trust, it's in human nature to find another to take their place. In that way, a friend is disposable, like tissues. Equally worthless." **Kiran tightened her grip on Soraka. "Wrong! Can you say with complete certainty that I've never felt anything from a relationship that ended?" She charged at her, as Tether dawned a crooked smile. **"If you didn't, maybe we'd be a much happier person." **When Kiran went in for another hit, she found herself surrounded by a circle of mirrors. Tether's reflection in all of them, folding her arms. **"You know what I'm saying is true. You just can't accept it. Detach from the pain. You'll be glad you did." **

Kiran tried to keep her eyes on the real Tether, as the reflections jumped out of their mirrors and bomb rushed her, but fortunately they were just illusions. Unfortunately, they added plenty of visual noise. "That's why I'm fighting this fight, Tether." She struck at the real one, as she then dived back and camouflaged with the fakes before lunging from the confusion anew! Kiran ducked under the strike, it barely missed her. Though it did cut through her coat. Before Kiran could get back up, Tether kneed her in the jaw, knocking her straight through one of the mirrors and back out into the open water. **"True story, if you drop a frog into a cup of water and turn the up the heat gradually enough, the frog will never leave until it boils to death. That's essentially what you're allowing to happen to yourself." **Kiran tossed off her robes altogether, as she pulled shards of glass out of her. "You're awfully talkative, for someone so doom and gloom all the time." She got back up and came at her again, the rain falling harder than ever now. In the four corners of this place, familiar sights rose from the ground: Embla castle, Múspell castle, Hel castle, and the fourth being foreign to her. A huge blue vortex. Kiran managed to land a slash across her arm, leaving a gash down the middle.

**"You've fought in so many battles, conquered so many threats, and yet another rises to take its place in due time. Life isn't a destination, it's a bottomless checklist that has no reward in the end." **Tether knocked her legs out from under her and before she could get up, dove her blade into her sword hand, and holding her other arm down with her foot. **"Always remember, this is what you wanted. I'll put you out of your misery." **Kiran watched her as she readied to bring her finishing blow down. Not afraid in the slightest. "I'm not alone, like you. I'll live and die, knowing I gave life my all. Even if my friends leave my physically, their memory will always keep me going. That's what it means to have a friend." Tether scowled, and was about to kill her, when suddenly the clouds parted and a bolt of light erupted from the sky. Tether backflipped away from it as it landed on Kiran. And then, something neither of them could have foreseen happened...

Kiran rose from the ground, she found she was now wearing pure white armor reminiscent of Minerva, but with less excessive should pads. Light markings covering her arms through her sleeves, and she wore a white circlet. But what was truly amazing was she had angelic wings made of pure light. In her hands, Soraka had taken on a new form, now having a blade made of light as well. In her other arm was a white shield with 5 gemstones, reminiscent of Loki's Dark Emblem. The world around them shifted as well, the storm clouds faded away and the morning sun shined over the water, gushing out beautiful reds, pinks, and yellows. **"What did you just do...!?" **Kiran could scarcely believe it herself. This power... it was not Thorr's, yet felt much like hers. Then she remembered Thorr is a goddess here, and she was once an overseer herself. This must be Soraka's true power... No. This was HER true power. Floating above the endless ocean, and healed of all her injuries, Kiran drew her sword. With a new form, it deserved a new name: Sol Soraka. **(The music "Vs. Final Boss phase 3" from Sonic Forces plays)**

Kiran swung her mighty new weapon through the air to test it. The mere movement flinging a straight line of water into the sky. She got into a fighting stance. "I've woken up from your nightmare. Let me show you how a real dreamer fights." Tether leaped up and tried to slash her across the midsection, but Kiran blocked with the shield she'd affectionately dub the Sol Emblem. She then swung at her, barely missing, but the force from the wind the sword was displacing blew her 10 feet back. Upon crash landing in the water, she angrily rose to her feet again. **"When will you learn? Anything you can do, I can do better!" **She blasted an orb of black smoke out at the Sol Emblem, but it dissipated on impact. It started to dawn on Tether the gravity of the situation. **"It should've copied it...! How did you...!?" **Kiran smirked. "You have no power over me anymore!" She swiftly flew towards Tether, ready to lay waste to her. **"Pride comes before a fall, maggot!" **Tether summoned a Røkkr of Lyon, but Kiran sliced it to pieces with blinding speed. Kiran then lunged Sol Soraka into Tether's chest, sparks of light flying out of the monster's new gaping hole.

Kiran kicked off of her and pulled her sword out as Tether clutched her injury in pain. **"You cannot survive in this world without me!" **Tether focused all her strength into one last strike on Kiran, but the instant Dark Soraka touched her skin, it shattered into a thousand pieces. "I'm walking on my own now, and don't ever think of coming back!" She shoved Sol Soraka up through Tether's chin and out through her skull. Tether panted, as her limbs started failing. Kiran touchingthe water with her feet, the both of them standing under the bright rays of the sun. Tether's legs buckled under her, as darkness started to fade out of her. Though she had a sword in her face, she was somehow still able to speak. **"So it would seem... that you've outgrown me. Very well... I concede..." **She weakly turned her head to face the rising sun. For once, the smile she had on her face seemed real. **"How very strange this world is... Now that the time has finally come, I feel... strangely at peace..." **Kiran dawned a more compassionate expression. "If you always made my choices for me, even if they were right, I'd never grow as a person. You can rest now." Tether layed down in the water as the rest of her body started going limp. **"Yes... It's clear now that you're strong... maybe even strong enough to make it in this confusing life of ours. I'll leave our fate to you. And please... Do not disturb me ever again..." **Kiran nodded. "I won't let you down." And that was it. Tether faded into the light. Her body of darkness dissolving into the air around them, and Kiran retrieved her sword. The world was encased in a blinding white light. The nightmare was over.

She found herself in Hel's throne room, where she last was. Everyone was gone. Loki included. Looking down at herself, she was still in her enlightened form. This wasn't really the time to appreciate her new perks, but being able to fly felt exhilarating... Then, she saw someone was indeed here: Thorr. Thorr was at a loss upon seeing her. "Kiran... you're alive!? That power. Where did you get it? I can feel the might of every hero from every world condensed within you..." Thorr approached her in surprise, as Kiran explained. "Just like Fjorm did. I've conquered my dark self once and for all." Thorr was left awestruck, something Kiran had never seen before. "Incredible... With this strength, you may just be able to stop Loki..." Upon remembering what Loki said, Kiran wanted to ask Thorr herself. "Thorr, why didn't you tell us Loki was your dark side?" Thorr then looked to the side in shame. "Oh... I assume she told you, then..."

Thorr expelled a deep breath. "It's true... Loki came from me. Back in your world, I was an overseer named Shouzou Kaga. It was my dream to create. To make something that I could be proud of. When I became an adult, I started making that dream a reality. Under the banner of like-minded people, I created the first worlds in this vast multiverse. I was so proud of what I'd made. My success was intoxicating, winning the approval of my superiors and my fellow overseers. But one day, I decided to go out on my own. Wanting to aim for bigger and better. Before I left, however, I made a copy of myself to monitor my previous works from the sidelines. That copy is the person you're looking at." Kiran politely listened along. "I made my own creation. One similar to my last contribution to the world. But those I previously worked for weren't too pleased with my actions. In trying to satisfy them, I made changes to the world, but it just wasn't enough for them. They stopped my creation, and my career, dead in its tracks. Imprisoning my unfinished world within the tear ring."

That did make sense. "Then why does it make an evil duplicate of people?" Thorr sighed. "That was all our faults. I watched over the worlds, as I was created to do. Even the ones birthed from the ones who betrayed me. But in the back of my mind, the tear ring always nagged me. I wasn't the type who likes leaving things unfinished. I knew deep down it was a bad idea, but one day I simply couldn't take it anymore and sought out the ring. I put it on my finger, hoping that would set it free. But the instant it touched me, it absorbed all the greed and anger the world within it caused. It tore out all my darkest thoughts and feelings. My desire for revenge, to destroy those who tossed me out despite my attempts for appeasement. That was the day Loki was born. I tried to take her down the instant she manifested, but she was a goddess just like me. She could not be killed. Only injured. And I don't think I need to tell you Loki isn't above underhanded tactics. Having a constant supply of negativity from my guilt, she had defeated me. But before she could get away, I saw to it the damage she could do was limited. I stole her heart and sealed it away, vastly decreasing her power."

Kiran continued to lend her ear. "We fought each other many times after that, but every time it ended with no victor. Eventually, we just developed a sibling relationship. Tolerating one another, but always trying to get a leg up somehow. I kept an eye on her for a long, long time to ensure she didn't do anything stupid, but she kept finding ways to do as she pleased right under my nose. And you know the rest..." Kiran furrowed her brow. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Thorr. It's not like you knew what the ring would do to you. I've always found that reliving the past won't change it. What we do need to think about is the future. Loki's still out there, and we need to stop her." Thorr nodded. "You're right... I know where she is. She's created a giant tear in space and time, a pure manifestation of chaos and disorder that she plans to expand until it swallows everything in the worlds. She calls it 'The Tempest'. As you can imagine, she chose to place the epicenter in the skies above castle Askr.

Kiran nodded. "Very well. I'll go out and stop her. You get the others somewhere safe, I'll handle the goddess of chaos myself." Thorr raised an eyebrow. "'The others'? But Kiran, Loki killed them. Erased them at the atomic level, there's nothing left to-" Kiran raised her sword, and the room was filled with a shockwave of light. The previously destroyed bodies of her friends reforming themselves, leaving all of them on the floor unconscious, but alive. Even the ones that weren't killed by Loki, like Gustav, Henriette, and Gunnthra. Thorr was about to ask how she did that, but Kiran beat her to the punch. "They were all made from the imagination of others. My powers allowed me to remake them from my memories." Thorr looked around at the unconscious Askrans, Emblians, and other warriors of this world before turning to Kiran and nodding. "Alright. You can count on me. I cannot garuntee you'll safely return unless you're victorious, but I'll watch you from the sidelines in case I think of a means of stopping Loki. Good luck. And... thank you."

Kiran smiled, and then flew out of the castle to head off to her final confrontation with the biggest threat she has ever faced. An evil so powerful, it threatens the entire multiverse with complete annihilation. But Kiran was not just some summoner. She was the protector of these lands. And she was not gonna let anyone, not even some fell goddess, destroy it. The time was nigh. Only one of them was coming out of this alive, and for the sake of every living thing here, she had to be the one who was left standing. The time was now. The time was here. The final battle approaches...

**(Now that was perfect! Even I was feeling the intensity of this chapter, and I was the one writing it! But now you all have the buildup you need to read the next chapter, where this matter between Kiran and Loki will be put to rest once and for all. All that and more in the last chapter: Dancing Mad.)**


	35. Dancing Mad

**_(One day I started laughing. It was not sincere back then. It was a means of denial. Some gallows humor to distance myself from the tangled mess of conflict in my soul. Though it made me feel better to some degree, somewhere along the line that laugh started to become more... malicious. Soon I found I actually found the pain funny. Not just mine, but others. By the time I noticed how far I was gone, I didn't even care to resist anymore. Chaos. Disorder. All of it gave me such... pleasure. You wanna know how I feel about you, Kiran? I'm jealous. You have everything that I want, but cannot have. The world has crushed you over and over again, but you somehow make it through... But now the end has come. For Askr... For you... May the boundless hunger of The Tempest take what's left of me. Let it all fall into the abyss. -Loki)_**

Castle Askr. It was nice Kiran would get to see it again before she'd have to fight this deranged goddess. It was amazing Kiran's vertigo had all but vanished by now. Up here in the sky, everything on the ground seemed so small. Maybe this is what Thorr felt, watching her and the others from the heavens. But now was not the time for sightseeing. In the distance was the same blue vortex she saw back in her battle with Tether: The Tempest. It swirled, and boiled, sucking in the clouds around it, and anything that got too close. It was like a black hole, pulling in things and slowly growing with every passing moment. Thorr was keeping touch with her telepathically, though it was hard to say if she'd be able to reach her once she crosses the event horizon. This was her last moment of solace before this fight to end all fights. As sentimental as she was feeling, she knew if she didn't hurry, that thing would eat the entire world. "Now that everyone's safe, I'll do what I can to keep you safe. Loki should be inside that monstrosity somewhere. My powers should protect you from spaghettification, but I cannot guarantee I'll be of much use once you reach her.

Kiran gazed out at The Tempest, as she slowly approached it. "You mean you're not gonna fight with me?" She waited for a response. "Alas... I can't. If I got too close, she'd probably absorb my guilt. That, and you're much more powerful than me in that new form of yours." That made sense, but not in a comforting way. "Any idea of how we're gonna stop her? For once, I'm out of ideas." Thorr responded. "The Tempest is being generated from the darkness of the tear ring, and enhanced by the power of the forbidden heart. I doubt you can summon any heroes, as the Dark Emblem would kill them instantly. Our best course of action is to weaken Loki and separate her from her these three things. This goes without saying, but The Tempest is a body of pure chaos. Loki will have complete control over your surroundings once you enter." Kiran floated closer and closer towards the tear of space and time, feeling the strength of its pull getting ever harder to resist. Soon enough, she was going in. The world behind her becoming smaller as the wind ripples into the void of darkness in front of her. "Somehow, we're going to win. Even in the face of impossible odds, we'll soldier on." And so the light of Askr was just a dot on the horizon. Then it was gone. There was no turning back. It was time.

**(The music "Castle Bleck" from Super Paper Mario plays) **This place looked... horrible. The tunnel she was floating through was black, but with a swirling red sea of deformed faces, and skulls glowing along in a double helix pattern around her. Giant eyes staring into her soul as she descended into the depths of insanity. Kiran felt herself touch water, and swam through some unidentifiable liquid. When in the water, she noticed she appeared to be in some chibi sprite version of herself. She just ignored it, considering it didn't seem to be harming her. But in a place like this, there's really no way to tell. Then a giant mile-wide bear in jeans and a forest ranger hat formed from in the water. It then spoke. "La lee loo lay lo. La lee loo lay lo! La lee loo lay lo...!" And then it caught fire, before launching a second head out of its hand which was also on fire. Kiran swam through the water, trying to find which way led anywhere at this point. The bear then exploded into bubbles which turned into eyes. Eyes that opened up to reveal mouths with sharp hungry teeth. Being eaten by one of the eyes, Kiran fell into what appeared to be a medieval style obstacle course. On some speakers she heard a man's voice speaking.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to splatalot. I'm Jason Agnew, this is my cohost, Matt Chin." Then she heard another voice as she tried to make sense of where she was. "Yeah, and it seems we have a fresh new contest for some quality failure and humiliation." She looked down to see the water below was actually milk, filled with fruit loops...? Thorr paused. "Okay, I think I'm gonna need to stare at a wall after we're done here..." They saw a shark made out of twizzlers in the water below, as a fight between the power rangers, and a colossal David Boey in a George Washington costume were in a fight to the death in the distance. "Not helping. Any idea where Loki is?" Kiran asked, as she flew over the obstacles, avoiding a swarm of bees with nails strapped to their backs. "I don't... umm... Gah! This has all become so complicated. I'll try my best..." Going through the castle door, she found herself at a beach as Bob Marley sang his red red wine song. Kiran knew it was best not to question it, as she walked past it. Upon seeing her, Bob Marley screamed and spilt his glass. Then he became angry. "What the heck!? You made me spill my red red wine! Do you have any idea how delicious it was!? I was gonna drink it! With my mouth!" Kiran spotted Loki in a purple bikini on a beach towel. She ran at her and swung her sword, but this Loki was just an illusion. And Kiran fell through a hole under the beach towel.

Kiran could obviously just fly out of the hole, but anywhere was better than being stuck in this confusing mess. Kiran ended up on a water slide surrounded by nothing but darkness, and she slid down, and down, and eventually hit the bottom. Literally, because the stop was quite abrupt. She was now in a dark hallway, similar to her nightmare so long ago. "Alright, alright, I think I've got this now. Loki should be at the end of that hallway." Kiran dusted herself off. "You sure? I'm starting to question if even you could make sense of this." She was certain Thorr was nodding, wherever she was. "Yes. That dark power is unmistakable." It was some matter of assurance. That was good enough for her. Kiran walked down the hallway. She then sees a figure up ahead. It looked like Veronica, but Kiran instantly guessed it was one of Loki's illusions. The mirage spoke with Loki's voice, as the trickster was talking through it. "I'm amused. Even after all that, you still defy me. You're like a dog coming back to its owner." Kiran didn't like Loki's sharp tongue, but knowing she was on the right track was wonderful.

"Did you think that Tether would keep me down? You should've gone with a more certain form of execution. Now I've come to finish you." The illusion then teleported a bit further down the hallway and turned into Surtr. "Indeed. But in case you weren't aware, I wanted to get this apocalypse started ASAP. Just goes to show, you can never be too sure that those who oppose you are dead." Kiran shook the wetness out of her clothes, and continued forward. "You could've avoided all this, Loki. You could've joined back with Thorr before you committed such atrocities." The illusion teleported away again, turning into Hel. "That's where you're wrong. I cannot be slain. The only way we know of for me to return to her, is for my body must be destroyed. A physical impossibility." The illusion then bolted down the hall, into the shadows. Kiran had one last failsafe she wanted to deploy for the coming battle. She held out Breidablik, and fired out a hero. In all Kiran's time as a tactician, she never thought she'd use this hero. But desperate times call for desperate measures. With any hope, Loki wouldn't anticipate it either.

With that done, she walked to the end of the hall, to find a large arena-sized room, with no ceiling or walls. In the distance of everywhere other than the floor was the same red mass of skulls in the darkness. This appeared to be an island of sorts, floating inside the core of The Tempest. And there in the center of this island, was Loki playing a game of croquet with her own dismembered head. "I dig the new look, by the way. But its come to my attention you're now immune to my ability of foresight. And with a goddess of your caliber, I might get more than my daily prescribed exercise." Kiran drew Sol Soraka and pointed it at her. "I can't stand people like you. People who enforce their desires and beliefs on others. So you're angry. Everyone gets mad sometimes. But you can't get so stuck on something that happened so long ago. I doubt anyone but you even cares all that much." Loki picker up her own head and shimmied it onto her neck. "Of course no one cares, people suffer on a regular basis but no one could learn about every tragedy that goes down every waking moment. I'm doing the world a favor in the consequences of arrogance."

Kiran appeoached her with caution. Watching her movements carefully. "You can't fix one extreme with another, Loki. Otherwise you just add to the problem. Not solving it." Loki made an exaggerated snoring sound. "Listen, short stack. Let's not beat around the bush any longer. The folks out there want a fight, and I'm gonna give 'em one. So let's save the dramatic anime monologue for _while _we fight. Aight? Aight." She then spawned Wario's motorcycle and a foam finger on her hand. "You have the weirdest taste in attacks, you know that?" Loki then fired a laser from her foam finger as the _'Ima firin' my laser' _face formed in front of it. "Time to make some dead memes into death... memes... You know what I mean." She then rode her motorcycle at her, and Kiran flew towards her at the same time. It was time for the carnival of carnage to begin! **(The music "Final Boss Phase 2" from LEGO City undercover plays.) **Kiran struck at the tires, fluttering under Loki's laser volley, and causing the bike to swerve and wobble. But the motorcycle then sprouted spider legs with blades at the ends, reminding Kiran she should probably focus her efforts on Loki herself.

"Slicity slice! Dicity dice! Stabbity stab stab!" Kiran weaved through the whirlwind of death and sliced her sword at Loki, but she blocked with her scepter. Kiran pushes her sword down into her, until her spider cycle thing was being crushed into the ground. The creature started swinging its limbs randomly, making it much harder to focus on both the fight, and the living death trap they were currently in. Loki flipped off of the spider, and then transformed it into a a series of clocks that used their hands as arrows. Kiran held her ground against Loki, as the hands whizzed by her. Loki then violently bashed her face in with the Dark Emblem, before throwing a strange projectile in the form of two pigs conjoined at the stomach. Kiran easily cut the thing in half down the middle. "Wait... was that a pig?" Kiran managed to destroy the clocks with a single swing of Sol Soraka. "Time to channel my inner Miley Cyrus." She then made a giant wrecking ball, and swung it by the chain. Homer Simpson screaming, as he was stuck on the end of it. Kiran sliced the chain, causing the ball to go flying off into the great beyond. Kiran slashed at Loki, as she tried to spot an opening to take one of her artifacts. Loki saw what she was thinking, and then downed about a dozen double cherries from Mario, creating an ocean of Lokis. Kiran fought the coming swarm of identical clones from every side, trying to find the real one in the bunch.

She was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the army of tricksters, and so started spinning on her heel, creating a giant tornado of light around her which quickly destroyed all the Loki clones, leaving only the genuine article. "Yeesh. Favoritism much, Seraphim? Well, I'll just need to amp up the crazy!" She spawned a recreation of Jambandra Base, before picking it up and using it like a sword! Kiran tunneled through the concrete walls, and flew through the building as fast as she could, before leaping out the other end and slicing Loki across the side. The wound didn't heal. That was a welcome sign. "Haha! It's dangerous to play with sharp things. But tell me, are you ready to face my baby shark?" She then summoned a shark with a laser beam attached to its head. She held it like a bazooka and opened fire on Kiran. Kiran dodged the attack, and threw her weapon into the sharks mouth, prompting it to rip through the aquatic animal. Being close enough for a chance to take something from her, she slipped the tear ring off Loki's finger, and stomped it under her heel. The now destroyed ring made a horrifying screaming sound, as a pillar of malice flooded out of it and eventually faded.

The Tempest around them also shook, the ring being a crucial part of maintaining it. Loki didn't seem too happy about seeing the ring destroyed. "You little...! You're really testing your luck today, huh? Now you've made me angry." She sprinted at Kiran, and brought her scepter down hard on her. A dark aura surrounding her, as it crept up her scepter and started to spread onto Kiran. Kiran started feeling woozy the instant it touched her, and knew that if she was gonna do something, she had to do it fast. Knowing Loki wasn't exactly an honorable opponent, Kiran used a dirty tactic of her own and sank her teeth into Loki's arm. It didn't hurt her that much, but the shock made Loki lose her focus and allowed Kiran to swipe her scepter away and open a hole in her chest in the process. Exposing that icky pulsating thing she calls a heart. Loki's expression turned rotten, and her voice went flat, as she clutched her injury. "I am this world's creator... I am darkness, sorrow, chaos, and pain. Misery, hatred, and boundless disdain. I am the beginning, and I am the end..." she snapped her scepter in half, as darkness seethed from it and into Loki. A shadow forming around her. growing larger, and larger, until it became a giant blob of negativity in the shape of Loki, with gleaming red eyes. The monstrosity dripped with black ooze, staring down at the ant before it. **"I AM DESTRUCTION. I WILL DESTROY. SO YOU BRACE YOURSELF FOR YOUR THE END. THE END OF YOU!" **Kiran didn't flinch at the atrocious beast before her. She didn't care how, Loki was going down! **(The music "With Me by All Ends" from Sonic and the Black Knight plays)**

Kiran had to try and find Loki's body in that thing, or else this would never end. The clear place to look was the heart, but this Lich Loki wasn't just gonna let her get anywhere close to it. The Lich Loki formed a planet in its palm and launched it at Kiran. With power like this, Kiran needed to start getting experimental too. Only nanoseconds to think, Kiran summoned a supernova to swallow the planet. It successfully reduced Lich Loki's attack to rubble, and hit the black slime that made it, leaving a huge burn mark on it. The enraged animal grabbed Kiran and roared, attempting to suffocate her in its fatal grip. Kiran dug Sol Soraka into its palm, and the pain caused it to loosen its grip. It shifted tactics to bringing its other hand down on her, and Kiran didn't have the mobility to retaliate! Just as she thought it was over however, someone came to her rescue. She looked up to see a ghostly silhouette in a hood similar to the soldiers of Valla using a shield to defend her. "The other me...!" With extra time to free herself, Kiran broke free and sliced off Lich Loki's hand as it roared in fury. The spirit of the other Kiran was ready to defend her to the best of her abilities. Kiran looked at her. "Distract her. You probably don't have to worry about dying... Sorry about what happened in your timeline." The other Kiran nodded, and flew out in front of Lich Loki's face, creating a bright light that blinded it. Kiran seized the opportunity, and sliced her way into the heart of the titanic trickster. She cut through the ooze with as much speed as she could muster, seeing the substance trying to web itself back together with each cut. She eventually found herself in a strange chamber, where the real Loki was supplying her construct with dark magic.

Loki looked downright insulted to see her there. "You again...!" Kiran didn't want to give her any time to react, so she flew at her full force and thrust Sol Soraka straight through her heart. "You're done now, it's over! You've lost!" Loki stared at her with a crazed smile as she gripped the sword in her gut. Kiran feeling her very essence being ripped out of her, rays of light draining from her into Loki. "The story won't allow me to kill you... You're the main character after all. But I've thought of that too. I will absorb you, and make your power mine!" Kiran hoped with all her heart that she would get out of this. Her mind beginning to crumble as she slipped further and further into nothingness. Loki looked into Kiran's eyes as she drained her away, but her smile quickly dimmed upon seeing the expression of her foe change from dread to confidence. Kiran chuckled. "Think you know yourself so well?" Loki didn't understand what she meant, but came to realize it when she felt a jolt in her back. Her absorption spell was interrupted, and Kiran was safe. Loki turned to see Kiran's ally: another her. "Sorry, me. Gotta do what your summoner says." The other Loki quipped. Loki's face was priceless, as her heart violently thrashed in her chest. The open gash in it causing it to swell up. As rays of light shot out of her, and she desperately tried to close the injury, she sighed. "Oh, poop." Her heart exploded, the blast shaking out through the whole Tempest. Kiran was knocked unconscious by the explosion as everything went white...

When Kiran came to, she found herself on the ground of the summoning ruins. Her muscles were sore, and she had minor injuries, but she was pretty well of for someone who took an explosion that could put a hydrogen bomb to shame point blank. If not for Thorr's protection, she'd be dead. She looked up, and saw Loki on the ground in front of her. She was in her original Thorr form, not even having the energy to maintain her trademark appearance. She was covered in a series of first, second, and third degree burns, as well as all the injuries Kiran inflicted on her during the fight. In the middle of them was the Dark Emblem. Loki desperately trying to reach it, but she lacked the strength to move beyond shakily reaching for her weapon. Kiran slowly got up, looking up in the sky to see The Tempest has been destroyed. Loki gritted the teeth that hadn't been knocked out of her, as streams of darkness flew up from her wounds. The empty hole in her chest proving the forbidden heart had been layed to waste in the blast. Kiran had done it. She saved the worlds. But now was the question of what to do about Loki. She was practically powerless now, but they didn't have a means of killing her. She'd just go on, living a life she didn't ask to be granted.

Kiran kicked the Dark Emblem out of her reach. Looking down at the pitiful woman. Loki didn't have any witty remark. No zinger to lighten the mood. She was just... there. "It makes no difference..." Loki spoke, in her Thorr voice. Not attempting to look up at the one who had defeated her. "This cycle of light and dark... wrong and right... It is a constant. If not... me, then another... Good...? Evil...? It's insignificant. Try as you may to... deny it, the consensus of all life is the guarantee of oblivion... So why? Why bother with trivial thoughts like morality...?" Kiran had an answer for her argument. "The value of your life is how people benefit, or suffer from it. Yourself included. It's just logical that you make the best of the time you're given. Everyone that has, and ever will live seems to be happy. Can't we all work together to accomplish that goal?" Loki didn't respond. She appeared to be thinking hard about this. Thorr then appeared. A smile on her face. "Words could never do justice the gratitude I feel. Thank you for everything, Kiran. Now I think I can move on myself." Kiran raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Thorr walked over to Loki, whom cringed to see her other half. "What do you want?" She asked simply. A note of hostility in her voice.

Thorr knelt down to her. "All my life, I've treated you like a disease. A pox that was irredeemable, and beyond salvation. And though you have wrecked so many lives in this grand scheme of yours, I've come to remember that you're still me. You were a victim of the same darkness I ignored for so long." Loki strained herself to her knees, to little success. She spat on Thorr's shoe in defiance. "Don't come to me with a sappy pep talk... You abandoned me." Thorr sighed. "Yes. I did. The thoughts you represented horrified me. I didn't want to accept it. So instead of destroying you..." She reached out her hand in acceptance. "I decided I'd finally do the right thing." Loki looked at her with confusion. "You're... taking me back? But you hate me." Thorr didn't falter. "That's also true. But a creature that's at war with itself is doomed. I want to understand you, and maybe we can find a way to put this all behind us together." Loki looked indecisive, as she shakily reached out to Thorr's hand. "Heh. This is so cheesy. Do you even have a plan for any of this?" Thorr grabbed Loki's hand, and helped her up. "We'll find a way. We always do." Loki then turned into darkness, and seethed back into Thorr. The two goddesses were now whole again.

Kiran was astonished by the display. "Well, I guess that's that. I'm glad everything worked out." Thorr returned her attention to Kiran. "Indeed. Thanks to you, I was able to put this very long conflict to a close." Kiran chuckled. "I was there myself once. My friends helped me through." Thorr breathed in the fresh Askran air. The two sitting down on some steps. "You know... back when I first started looking after these worlds, I thought that my masterpiece required my guidance to thrive. Now, I'm relieved to say I was wrong. If people like you care so passionately about it, it must be in good hands." Kiran looked at her. "What are you going to do now, then?" Thorr placed her hands on her lap. "I think I'm gonna join my real self out there, and let my weary soul rest. The fears that drove me away from such peace is now gone. But I will leave you with this: There's one last choice left for you to make, Kiran..." Thorr touched Breidablik, making it glow briefly. "After I'm gone, you'll have a day and a half to use this thing. If you fire it within that time frame, you'll be presented a portal home. If you don't, you'll stay here. I wish I could keep the bridge between our worlds open, but you never know what problems it could lead to." Kiran looked down at her weapon. "You'll be transported back to the same time and place as when you were taken, and with as much sand left in your glass. You're a smart kid. You'll figure this out." Kiran turned to her and nodded. "Okay. I won't forget you." Thorr closed her eyes and arched her head back. "I know." She then faded away. Vanishing, without a trace.

When Kiran returned to the castle, she found an entire welcoming committee waiting for her. The order of heroes, the Nifl royals, Bruno and Veronica, the generals of Hel, even Hel herself, whom seemed quite disinterested in festivities of any kind. More-so, she was just there to transport Eir and the others back to their world when they were ready so she could begin fixing her mess there. Just as promised, she brought back Gustav, and Gunnthra, and the other innocents caught up in Loki's plot. Azura hugged her, much to the embarrassment of the young overseer. She told the others of her decision regarding Thorr's choice, and they all agreed to use this time to celebrate. There was a feast, there was a dance. Kiran was hesitant to dance with Azura, on account of how she had two left feet, but Azura took the time to teach her, and she ended up enjoying it. This day, the whole world was sharing in the high spirits. It was a shame Kiran wouldn't have the time to see the great things yet to come of this. Like Alfonse's coronation, or the validation of a peace treaty between Askr and Embla. But she did get a laugh out of how Anna's merchandising empire around her was at an all time high. The next day, Kiran woke up feeling refreshed from the comfy bed that she was oh so happy to finally use in her quarters. She almost couldn't force herself out at all!

But now was the time she thought she'd dread for some time now. Everyone gathered at the summoning ruins. After all those adventures, the good times and the bad, it was time to say goodbye. **(The music "Sanctuary Piano/Orchestral Arrangement" from Kingdom Hearts by YouTuber, Laura Platt plays) **Gunnthra was the first to speak. "It's incredible that the strength you'd discover was built so much upon my words. Seeing how much you've grown, I'm proud of you." Kiran blushed. For an ice princess, she always made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Eir was next. "The bitter taste from our Kiran's death will always remain. But she lives on through you. And in that way, I feel at peace." Next was Bruno and Veronica. "I almost feel shameful I couldn't contribute to your journey that much. But i thank you for your contributions. Neither of our kingdoms shall forget it." Bruno remarked. For once, taking his mask off. "And you'd better live a happy life in your world, or I swear to whatever deity is listening that I will never forgive you." Veronica chimed, in her usual tsundere attitude. Then was Anna, Alfonse, and Sharena. Her three oldest friends. It felt like they'd known each other forever.

"Too bad I didn't know my idea to bring you here would do all this. Think that warrants a raise?" Anna joked, as everyone stared at her. "I'm kidding! No need to spoil the moment." Sharena was smiling, but her eyes did nothing to hide that she was sad to part ways with Kiran. "You remember we're always thinking of you. A-and that you are so much more than any hero. You're special in a way no one else coul-" Kiran cut her off. "It's okay, Sharena. A day will never go by where I don't think of you all." Sharena started to tear up, but Alfonse put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, sister. The memories we've shared will always be there to keep sorrow at bay." Sharena sniffled. "Yeah... Like that time we went to the beach, and... and how you liked the snow in Nifl." Alfonse smiled. "Even if we truly never meet again, know that you always hold a place in Askr, Kiran." Kiran nodded, shaking his hand. The final one to talk was Azura herself. "Even though I myself am going home too, and will inevitably forget everything we've been through... and even though the both of us will likely move on to others to share our lives with, I will remember you one day, and I will repay you for all the things you've done. Even if it takes me till the end of time, I will keep this promise." Kiran embraced her, and in an instant that would seal her words, Azura kissed her. On the lips. Anna got an idea. She took out her photo tome. "Hey, why not we take a picture together? It'll help capture the memory." The others agreed, and they all took a group picture. Hel being in the shot to get it over with, but refusing to smile.

Kiran then took one last look at her friends. "Well, this is it... Thanks, everyone. From the bottom of my heart." Henriette smiled warmly. "Take care, dear." Kiran fired Breidablik for the last time, and the portal appeared. Her friends waved her goodbye, and she walked through...

Kiran found herself in her bed in her house. Her real house. Everything was as she last left it. And she had the same bed head she got every other morning. Opening the blinds, she saw it was morning. And what a beautiful morning it was. Blue skies, birds chirping, she never really appreciated her surroundings before her trip to Askr. She looked in the bathroom mirror to see her black hair had been restored. She really was back. She turned on the TV, and confirmed it was the exact date as when she left. That was good, because she didn't want to explain to her loved ones why she had gone off the grid without warning all that time. The very first thing she did, even before changing out of her nightshirt, was to call her parents. Both were surprised to receive a call from her, and even more surprised to hear her talking like a normal person. But after a lengthy chat with both of them individually, they were happy that their little girl had come back to them. Kiran fixed herself some breakfast, and after looking at the calendar, remembered she had a job interview today. So she took a moment to soak in the comforting vibes of being home, got herself ready, and went out into the world. Ready for whatever life had in store for her.

Kiran would go on to become a talented psychiatrist, rebuild her relationships with those close to her, and even find someone whom she settled down with. Becoming a parent herself over the years, she was a kind and loving mother. Determined to give her kids the happy lives they deserved, and taking inspiration from Gunnthra to do so. She had a bright future ahead of her. Her adventures in Askr remaining a secret to everyone besides her direct relatives, and closest friends. Most laughed off her stories as just exciting stories she made up herself, but Kiran knew with absolute certainty all of it was real. One night, she and her family were having a picnic under the stars. Her daughter Akane, and her son Shiro watched in awe as shooting stars flew across the blanket of the night sky.

**(The music "camping theme" from Fossil Fighters Champions plays) **"Mama? Which one of those stars is the Big Dipper?" Akane innocently asked. Kiran's loved one back at the car, fetching the lantern. Kiran giggled. "It's not about trying to find the really famous stars, Akane. Just relax, and enjoy the view." Shiro took a bite out of his sandwich. Meanwhile, Kiran took out a package they received on their doorstep that day. It had no return address, but was marked with the vallite stamp. "Why haven't you opened that thing yet, mother?" Shiro asked. Kiran grew a smile. "Saving it for a special occasion like this, sweetly." She opened it up, and inside the box was a necklace. A gold necklace with a blue gem in it. It was _Azura's _necklace. She put it on immediately. It may not have looked that special to the average observer, but she knew what significance it held. "Wow! That's really pretty! Do you know who sent it?" Akane asked, her eyes lighting up with the wonder that befit her age. Kiran pulled Akane closer to her as they gazed out into the sea of stars above. "Let's just say... a friend." So she and the others sat there under the tranquil veil of night...

**THE END**


End file.
